Seneca Nation of Indians and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Benefit from Recovery Act Funds to Enhance Water Services

(New York, N.Y.) The Seneca Nation of Indians and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe will have improved access to vital water services through funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The E.P.A. (EPA) 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. In excess of $2 million of that money will be provided to the Seneca Nation and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.

"This Recovery Act backing will provide much needed enhancements to drinking water and waste water systems for these nations at the same time it will create job opportunities," said George Pavlou, E.P.A. Regional Administrator. "This extra backing creates green jobs to help pull us out of this downturn and ensure the long-term strength of our economy and our environment."

Through the IHS, E.P.A. is providing $1,343,330 for the Seneca Nation of Indians to replace the Thomas Indian Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is deteriorated. The nation will also connect 127 homes to the plant. E.P.A. is similarly providing $349,000 in backing for the Seneca Nation of Indians to upgrade the drinking water distribution system in the Cattaraugus Territory and to add connections to provide water to the Burning Springs and Versailles communities.

The E.P.A. will also provide $349,000 in backing through the IHS to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe to upgrade and enhance its Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Filtration Plant. The system will be upgraded and expanded to enhance its ability to treat drinking water. In addition, the tribe will construct a new lab that it will use to test the water to ensure it meets drinking water standards.

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 February 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 http://www.recovery.gov.

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

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