May 8, 2013—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 2 that it will provide grants of $340 million to the state of New York and $229 million to the state of New Jersey for improvements to wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities impacted by Hurricane Sandy, affecting numerous facilities in both states. The funding announced today will help storm-damaged communities in both states as they continue to recover from the damage caused by the storm on October 29, 2012.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, wastewater and drinking water treatment systems in New York and New Jersey were so severely damaged that some could not provide safe drinking water or treat raw sewage. The funding announced today will give states the capacity to further reduce risks of flood damage and increase the resiliency and sustainability of wastewater and drinking water facilities to withstand the effects of severe storms similar to Sandy. The funding will also provide for 6,000 short-term construction jobs.
The funds will be awarded as grants to the states and most will be given out to local communities as low or no interest loans that will be paid back to the states, although up to 30 percent of the money can be awarded as grants. This funding complements the efforts of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force created by President Obama, which works closely with federal, state and local officials to help communities address rebuilding challenges.
More information about the federal government’s response to Sandy is available on the “An Ongoing Response to Hurricane Sandy” Web site, and more information on the EPA’s response to Sandy and the newly announced funding is available on the “Hurricane Sandy Response and Recovery” Web site.
