NEWS from Congressman John W. Olver
1111 Longworth House Office Building         
Washington, DC 20515-2101
Tel: 202-225-5335 Fax: 202-226-1224
http://www.house.gov/olver

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2006                        
 
Contacts:
Nicole Letourneau (Olver) 202-225-5335
William Tranghese (Neal) 202-225-5601
                                                            

OLVER AND NEAL ANNOUNCE HOUSE APPROVES $1.5 MILLION FOR CONNECTICUT RIVER CLEAN-UP

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen John W. Olver (D-1st District) and Richard E. Neal (D-2nd District) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved $1.5 million for critical sewage control projects along the Connecticut River in Holyoke, Springfield, South Hadley, Chicopee and Ludlow.

The funding was included in the fiscal year 2007 Interior, Environment Appropriations bill. Olver is a member of the Interior, Environment Appropriations Subcommittee and worked with Neal to secure the funding.  

“The Environmental Protection Agency mandate to correct combined sewer overflows is an environmentally sound endeavor, but unfortunately, there is not sufficient funding in the State Revolving Loan Fund to even come close to meeting the needs of these communities,” Congressman Olver said. “Despite this obstacle, I’m pleased we’ve been able to secure this modest appropriation to move critical CSO projects forward, and we’ll keep at it.”


“The Connecticut River is a national treasure,” Congressman Neal said. “Those of us who live in New England have a particular obligation to preserve and protect the river for future generations. This federal assistance will directly address the issue of combined sewer overflows, which remains a major source of pollution. I am confident that this funding will help communities along the river in their continuing effort to clean up this great natural resource.”



The funding will assist the communities of Holyoke, Springfield, South Hadley, Chicopee and Ludlow in addressing combined sewer overflows (CSO’s) to the Connecticut River, a problem of interstate significance and major environmental impact. Currently, the five participating communities are under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrative orders to cleanup more than 78 CSO’s, which discharge more than a billion gallons of effluent per year into the Connecticut River and its tributaries.
 
Olver and Neal have worked to secure more than $6.5 million in funding between FY1999 and FY2006 to address CSO’s in these communities.
 
The funding will be used for construction or engineering of projects to directly reduce or eliminate CSO’s into the river in the five participating communities. The projects may include sewer separation, inline storage facilities and wastewater treatment facilities.
 

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