News Release

Release No.0178.99
Media Contact: Andy Solomon (202) 720-4623
andy.solomon@usda.gov
Public Contact: Jean Carter (202) 690-0513
jcarter@rurdev.usda.gov

USDA INVESTS $154.9 MILLION IN LOCAL CLEAN WATER IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

WASHINGTON, April 22, 1999--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced $154.9 million in new grants and loans to improve access to safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment in 82 rural communities in 44 states and Puerto Rico.

"This is a win-win," said Glickman. "These investments improve access to safe, clean drinking water for rural Americans. And, by preventing runoff and other possible pollutants that can harm our lakes and streams, they help protect our environment too."

Most of the funds are targeted to low income rural communities. The grants and loans will be used primarily to improve wastewater systems, eliminating raw sewage in groundwater, for example. These efforts extend the Clinton Administration's Water 2000 initiative, which helps deliver safe drinking water to rural Americans in need.

Projects receiving the funding announced today will protect the Potomac River in Maryland, the Chaumont Bay of Lake Ontario in New York, and two Presidentially-designated American Heritage Rivers: the St. John's in Florida and the Blackstone in Massachusetts.

USDA funding includes $80.1 million in loans and $74.7 million in grants to rural communities. USDA funds will leverage an additional $52.4 million from other public and private sources, raising total funding to more than $207.3 million.

Since 1993, USDA has assisted more than 3.6 million rural Americans with $7 billion in loans and grants for wastewater and safe drinking water system improvements.

A complete list of loan and grant recipients and background information on the Water 2000 initiative is available on the web at www.usda.gov/rus/water/.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
E A R T H D A Y P R O J E C T S -- 1 9 9 9

State               Name of Project         LOAN  GRANT
AK              Nome                                    2,000,000
AL              Lexington                1,235,500      1,472,100
AR              St. Charles                199,600        752,900
AZ              Gila Bend (Colonia)                       531,000
CA              Cuyama CSD                 205,500        301,500
 Lindsay        7,000,000                3,808,703
 Exeter         5,000,000
CO              Tabernash                  572,300        400,000
CT              Killingly                1,383,000      2,100,000
DE              Georgetown               1,304,668        986,000
FL              Astor-Astor Park         2,000,000      2,000,000
GA              Pearson                  1,800,000      3,743,600
IA              Castilia                   166,100        477,000
 Masonville       108,300                  309,900
 Bernard          137,000                  390,000
IL              Waltonville                560,000      1,008,000
IN              Lapel                    2,765,000
 Glenwood         455,000                  331,800
KS              City of Erie             1,300,000        885,000
KY              Columbia                   501,000
 Hyden            250,000                  750,000
 Clay             160,000                  285,000
 City of McKee (EZ/EC)                     365,000      1,050,000
LA              Leonville                1,104,000      3,011,000
 Woodworth        647,000                  466,000
 Maringouin       543,000                1,307,000
ME              Monson                      50,000        200,000
 Mapleton Sewer                            150,000      1,000,000
MD              Upper Potomac            1,600,000        600,000
MA              Blackstone                 502,040
MI              Orleans Township         1,040,000      1,525,000
 Saginaw Co.      579,000                  579,000
 N. Houghton Co.                         4,200,000
MN              Bingham Lake               110,000        479,000
 Lake Henry       147,000                  303,000
Upper Sioux                                600,000
MS              Jumpertown                                197,500
 Marietta         217,000                  176,000
 Shelby         1,081,700                  466,800
 Marks (EZ/EC)    442,350                1,227,450
MO              East Prairie (EZ/EC)     1,711,000      2,040,000
 Dunklin          700,000                  426,500
MT              Judith Gap                 238,000        471,000
 Madison/Harrison                          322,500        454,000
NE              Sargent                    940,000      1,150,000
NJ              Egg Harbor City            220,000        400,000
NY              Friendship                 100,000        699,700
 Chaumont         100,000                2,000,000
 Chazy            100,000                1,500,000
NC              Millennium                 247,000      1,803,000
ND              Dakota Water Users         270,000        400,000
 Turtle Mtn Chippewa                       792,900        647,100
NM              Dixon (EZ/EC)              120,500        361,500
 Butterfield (Colonia)                     366,900      1,008,400
 Santa Rosa       500,000                  203,700
OH              New Madison              2,200,000      1,450,000
 Fulton           716,000                  580,000
 Kirtland         323,000                  216,000
OK              Rural W/S #4-Atoka Co.   1,740,500               
OR              Umatilla Indians           564,000
 Mt Vernon        920,000                  920,000
PA              Quincy                   5,972,500      1,756,000
 Blacklick      3,382,000                1,988,600
PR              Manati                   1,000,000      3,525,000
 Camuy          5,000,000                1,742,700
SC              Pelzer                   1,167,700      1,311,300
 Holly Hill       140,400                  314,100
SD              BDM Rural Water            830,000        830,000
TN              Savannah                   585,000        300,000
 Hardin         1,300,000                  700,000
 Manchester       655,000                  300,000
 Mountain City    380,000
TX              City of Ames               561,000      2,479,000
 New Ulm          181,700                  141,900
UT              Duchesne/Wasatch           137,500        112,500
VA              Damascus                   973,000        805,100
WA              Lewis Co. - Onalaska       637,000      1,827,000
WV              Armstrong                  550,000        604,000
 Burnsville       252,000                  436,000
WI              Oakdale                    404,000        860,000
 Unity            990,000                  270,000
WY              Washakie Rural Water     1,988,650      1,988,650

TOTALS                                  80,160,808     74,743,003
TOTAL FUNDING                          154,903,811
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