12/13/2000
Following a strong lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill, the
National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) is reporting that
the cosponsor list for the House Clean Water Infrastructure
Financing Act (HR 2720) reached triple digits before Congress left
town for the year.
The House Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act, a bipartisan
measure, would reauthorize the highly successful Clean Water State
Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) for five years and provide $15 billion in
much-needed seed money for wastewater collection and treatment plant
construction.
The SRF Program provides low-cost financing to communities for
the construction, repair and rehabilitation of wastewater collection
and treatment facilities.
"This is a significant accomplishment in the fight to give all 50
states the funding they need to address America's tremendous
wastewater infrastructure needs gap, which now exceeds $300
billion," said NUCA President Angelo Di Paolo. "Our lobbying efforts
put this vital but unglamorous issue on the political map, and we
will build on this success to make the measure a high priority in
the 107th Congress next year."
Bipartisan efforts pay off
Introduced by Rep. Sue Kelly
(R-N.Y.) and Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), the list of HR 2720
cosponsors grew to 48 Republicans and 52 Democrats from more than 30
states, including 24 members of the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over the bill.
"HR 2720 is an important piece of legislation that will provide
states with the resources necessary to address their specific
wastewater needs including sewer, stormwater, wetlands, estuary, and
nonpoint source improvements," said Kelly. "Reaching the century
mark with this kind of bipartisan backing encourages committee
action, and I commend NUCA on its undying efforts to promote this
legislation."
For more information, contact the National Utility Contractors
Association at 4301 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 360, Arlington, VA
22203-1627. Phone 703-358-9300; fax 703-358-9307. NUCA comprises 41
chapters of local underground utility construction contractors and
suppliers throughout the United States.
Edited by Tracy Fabre
Managing Editor, Water Online
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