$9.5 million in Recovery Act funds to bolster Tribal water services throughout the Mountains and Plains region

(Denver, Colo. - July 8, 2009) 12 Indian Reservations in the E.P.A.'s (EPA) Mountains and Plains region will have improved access to vital water services through $9.5 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. E.P.A. and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Indian Health Service (IHS) today announced $90 million nationwide in 'shovel-ready' infrastructure plans designed to better protect human and environmental health in Indian Country.

"EPA is pleased to provide Recovery Act funds for much needed enhancements to water and drinking water infrastructure on Tribal Lands throughout the Mountains and Plains region," said Carol Rushin, EPA's Acting Regional Administrator in Denver. "These resources will protect public health, enhance water quality and help create jobs."

The Indian Country plans are part of $90 million that E.P.A. and IHS are providing nationwide for 'shovel-ready' infrastructure plans designed to better protect human and environmental health in Indian Country and create jobs. These efforts will help repair and upgrade critical water and drinking water infrastructure such as wastewater lagoon systems, sewer lines, water tanks and pipes.

Continuing a tradition spanning 20 years, E.P.A. and IHS's combined effort to enhance water services in Indian Country contributed to their identification of 95 wastewater and 64 drinking water priority plans to be completed by IHS's Sanitation Facilities Construction Plan through E.P.A. Recovery Act funds. The plans exceed the Recovery Act requirement that 20 percent of the funds be used for green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency enhancements and other environmentally innovative projects.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on Feb. 17, 2009, and has directed that the recovery act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at recovery.gov.

EPA's Mountains and Plains region (Region 8) includes the geographic boundaries of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Tribal plans receiving Recovery Act funds in the region include:

Drinking Water
Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes, Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana
$572,700

Blackfeet Tribe, Blackfeet Reservation, Montana
$29,900

Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Reservation, South Dakota
$1,205,700

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota
$1,010,300

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota
$127,100

Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians, Skull Valley Reservation, Utah
$193,900

Clean Water
Ute Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, CO, New Mexico and Utah
$902,080

Crow Tribe, Crow Reservation, Montana
$1,033,610

Assiniboine/Sioux Tribes, Fort Peck Reservation, Montana
$589,680

Chippewa-Cree Tribe, Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana
$542,710

Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Reservation, South Dakota
$3,210,000

Ute Indian Tribe, Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah
$139,580

More information about E.P.A. Recovery Act water efforts: http://www.epa.gov/water/eparecovery/

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