news

Alaskan Congressman Don Young voted yes today on H.R. 1262, the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009.  Rep. Young is also an original cosponsor of this bipartisan piece of legislation.  This bill would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds and provides $18.7 billion over five years to the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund.  This allows states to grant low interest loans to communities that don’t have enough funds to make improvements to wastewater infrastructure. 

“This is a good piece of legislation and especially for Alaska,” said Rep. Young.  “There are many communities who need to make major investments to their publicly owned wastewater utilities such as North Pole, Palmer, Kenai, Kodiak, and Wasilla to name a few.  This bill will allow these communities, and others like them, to make these investments for the good of their citizens.  This is essential to small, rural communities that can’t meet wastewater standards, but also can’t afford to bring them up to upgrade the existing systems.  This house has been passing some pretty questionable and one-sided pieces of legislation lately; it’s nice to be a part of a good, bi-partisan bill, that helps solve a problem. 

Alaska’s share of funding from H.R. 1262 will be $82,387,173 for the life of the bill.     

####