Obama's stimulus: a local view

[IndianaGreen]

I suspect that the following story is very representative of countless communities across the United States, which is why I want to share it with DUers:

Brownsburg awaits clean water funding

Updated: Wednesday, 11 Feb 2009, 7:05 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 11 Feb 2009, 5:52 PM EST

Jay Hermacinski
Edited by Andrew Bonner

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have reached an agreement on the stimulus bill. Now officials in Indiana are waiting to find out if the bill includes clean water funding. Twelve communities, including Brownsburg, are on standby to receive funds should they come available.

When it rains hard in Brownsburg, more than just storm water flows into White Lake Creek, overflow sewer water can end up there too. The town wants to build a new holding tank to eliminate the problem. The Environmental Protection Agency is mandating the project, so getting federal money for it would help.

"We are required to either eliminate combined sewer overflows from going into our waterways, or at least treat them to a certain extent that is established by IDEM or EPA," said wastewater superintendent Kathy Dillon.

The multi-million dollar tank will have to be built. It will be a giant rectangular shape and hold over a million gallons of overflow water.

Brownsburg is one of 12 Indiana communities waiting to see if they will receive stimulus money from Congress. The House version of the bill included $140 million for Indiana wastewater projects and $28 million for drinking water projects. The money would be loaned to the communities by the Indiana Finance Authority.

"They are shovel-ready projects. We are putting Hoosiers to work and this is where we can really generate the jobs on all of these," said Jenny Alvey of the finance authority.

Besides creating jobs, the stimulus money would save Brownsburg residents millions of dollars.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/region_6/Brownsburg_awaits_clean_water_funding

[Thrill]

1. Looks like Billions for Clean Water Projects

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_environment

[IndianaGreen]

2. Water and sewer are critical components of infrastructure, and...

they have been ignored for decades.

[Pirate Smile]

3. According to AP "$6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8190559