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| DEQ Home > Budget and Legislation > Economic Stimulus Funding | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Economic Stimulus Funding for Environmental Priorities in Oregon
Oregon is focused on accelerating our state's economic recovery by
creating jobs and economic stability for communities throughout the
state during this volatile time. Governor Ted Kulongoski's approach is
comprehensive, leveraging state and federal dollars and private
investment to maximize efforts that deliver short-term stimulus and
long-term economic prosperity. The ARRA empowers Oregon to invest in its
economy by pursuing smart, sustainable, and transformational efforts
- doing this "The Oregon Way."
Oregon DEQ Administered FundsThe Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will receive the following Recovery Act funding:
DEQ may receive additional funding for grants related to brownfield cleanups and is awaiting information from EPA on how funding for these projects will be administered. Clean Water State Revolving Fund Oregon DEQ was awarded about $45 million through an additional capitalization grant for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan program. The CWSRF program provides low-cost loans to communities for water quality and wastewater infrastructure needs. Project CertificationsDEQ has certified the following projects as ARRA grant recipients through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund: Funding requirementsThe ARRA requires all funds to be committed to eligible projects by Feb. 17, 2010. Loan agreements must be signed with DEQ for projects that are committed to contracts for construction or in which construction has begun. Green Project Reserve FundingAt least 20 percent of the capitalization grant was required for projects that address green infrastructure, water or energy efficiency improvements or other environmentally innovative activities. This is known as the Green Project Reserve and amounts to $8.8 million in Oregon. DEQ evaluated project applications and identified those projects that qualify for this portion of the funding. Three water efficiency irrigation projects will be funded under this Reserve that will significantly reduce the amount of water loss in their delivery systems, and will increase the return of water to nearby streams to improve water quality. Loan Financial TermsStates are also required to use at least 50 percent of the capitalization grant to provide additional subsidization to eligible applicants. Oregon will provide principal forgiveness on a loan as the additional subsidization. A loan made to a borrower that is a small community (defined in CWSRF administrative rules as a public agency serving a population of 5,000 or less) will include 75 percent principal forgiveness. All other loans made under the Act will include 50 percent principal forgiveness. For both types of loans, the remaining loan amount will be repaid at zero percent interest. Additional Information can be found at: DEQ anticipates receiving a grant of approximately $447,200 to conduct water planning projects; 40 percent of this grant − $178,880 − is to be allocated to regional public planning organizations that assist in the development and implementation of water quality management plans that include watershed restoration and other water-related implementation activities. The projects include:
The ARRA provides $300 million to support clean diesel activities meeting the following priorities:
Oregon DEQ will receive $1.7 million in state clean diesel funding for grants. DEQ will also apply for approximately $3.25 million in competitive diesel grant funds under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Several other eligible entities in Oregon plan to apply for the competitive grant funding as well. The goal for both programs is to create jobs and reduce emissions from diesel engines. DEQ projects will focus on exhaust controls and engine upgrades. The National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program is open to state, local, regional and tribal governments with jurisdiction over transportation and air quality, nonprofits representing or providing pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organization that operate diesel fleets, or whose principle purpose is the promotion of transportation or air quality. Applications for competitive grants are due to EPA in late April. DEQ is available to provide support for those entities who wish to develop their own proposals. More information about EPA's National Clean Diesel Recovery Act funding Leaking Underground Storage Cleanups Oregon expects to receive approximately $2.7 million to protect human health and the environment by cleaning up petroleum leaks from underground storage tank sites. The site assessment and cleanup work will largely be performed by private environmental engineering firms under contract to DEQ. Although final guidelines have not yet been issued by the EPA, DEQ has developed a list of approximately 13 sites it believes will be eligible for funding. The highest priority will be given to sites that pose the greatest threat to human health and the environment and lack an owner who can undertake the cleanup. Brownfield grants are typically awarded to local governments to facilitate investigation, cleanup and productive reuse of vacant and underutilized of contaminated properties. EPA has not yet announced how it will select projects for these additional grant funds. EPA usually cleans up Superfund sites itself, rather than granting funds to DEQ perform the cleanup work. There are currently 12 Oregon sites on the National Priorities List (Superfund). EPA has not yet announced which Oregon sites, if any, will receive funding.
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