WASHINGTON, D.C. --Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman
of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today that the U.S.
House of Representatives has passed a $32.2 billion fiscal year 2010 Interior
and Environment Appropriations Bill that includes funding for two local
projects.The House and Senate
conferenced this bill, which must now be passed by the full Senate before
heading to the President for his signature.The House passed the bill 247-178.
Included in the appropriations bill is $800,000 for the Lower Burrell Municipal Authority Wildlife
Lodge Road sanitary sewer extension project.This project will install approximately
28,000 feet of sanitary sewer pipe to provide public wastewater disposal to 100
residents who currently do not have public sewage and instead must rely on failing
on-lot septic systems.
The appropriations bill also provides $393,000 to the Tri-County
Joint Municipal Authority in Fredrickstown for improvements and upgrades to their
existing water treatment facility. The
existing treatment facility discharges raw sewage overflow into the Monongahela River, presenting public health and environmental
concerns.This project includes
construction of a filter backwash and clarifier blow down facility to stop overflow
into the river, as well as the installation of a 112,000 gallon equalization tank
to settle out solids.
“It is my priority to provide our local communities with the
federal funding they need to invest in critical sewage and water
infrastructure,” Murtha said.“Serious
public health and environmental concerns arise when we don’t address failing
on-lot septic systems, like the ones in Lower Burrell,
and inadequate water treatment facilities, like the one in Fredrickstown.”
The FY10 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill makes
key national investments in:
• Clean
Drinking Water & Wastewater: $3.6
billion to provide nearly 1,500 communities with loans and subsidized
assistance to improve drinking water and wastewater systems.
• Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative: $475 million for an unprecedented effort by
federal, state, and local agencies/groups to restore the Great
Lakes.
• Brownfields:
$100 million to evaluate and
cleanup former industrial and commercial sites to make these problem properties
ready for development and productive community use.
• National
Park Service: $2.7 billion, an increase of $218 million above last year.
