v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4204)
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 832-F-98-003
March 1998
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund
and the Clean Water Action Plan
THE 25th anniversary of the Clean Water
Act in October of 1997 sparked the
development of the Clean Water Action Plan
(CWAP). It was developed to renew the
commitments of federal, state, tribal, and local
governments and citizens to the goals of the
original Clean Water Act, to provide "fishable
and swimmable" waters to all Americans.
Although great progress has been made in the
last 25 years to eliminate pollution from our
nation's waters, water quality problems still
exist. States report that about 40 percent of
their assessed waters do not meet water
quality goals and 1,000 major watersheds still
contain moderate to serious water quality
problems. A cooperative effort between
several federal agencies, including the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
produced the CWAP to address these
problems.
In our ongoing efforts to encourage expanded
use of the EPA's Clean Water State Revolving
Fund (SRF) to reduce polluted runoff we have
set a goal to increase total funding of polluted
runoff projects to at least 10 percent annually
by 2001. The Clean Water State Revolving
Fund provides a powerful funding resource for
implementing the Clean Water Action Plan.
The SRF is providing close to $3 billion in
annual funding for water quality projects
nationwide. By the end of FY 97, the SRF
had funded a total of more than $650 million in
nonpoint source and estuary projects around
the country. We are working to expand this
total through intensified marketing and
outreach as well as involvement in initiatives
like the CWAP.
Three Levels of Involvement...
THERE are three levels of SRF involvement
within the CWAP: the first includes
specific SRF commitments listed under CWAP
Key Actions; the second includes SRF funded
activities that support a Key Action; and the
third level contains opportunities for future
SRF involvement in planning, program design,
funding, or otherwise. These three categories
establish an important connection between the
SRF and CWAP implementation.
Specific SRF Commitments
The SRF is specifically mentioned in two Key
Actions. In support of the Action Plan, we
have committed to increase the number and
dollar amount of SRF loans used to prevent
polluted runoff. In addition, we have
committed to increase substantially the number
of states using integrated priority setting
systems to make funding decisions. Integrated
priority setting systems will enable states to
direct SRF assistance to a variety of point and
nonpoint source projects based on
environmental priorities. Under the Action
Plan, we are also committed to guiding states
on the use of loan funds in support of
decentralized sewage management systems.
SRF Activities Supporting CWAP
With a wide array of project eligibilities,
innovative uses of the SRF should provide
broad based financial support for many Key
Actions listed in the Plan. Nonpoint source
(NFS) and estuarine activities that have been
or can be funded by the SRF include
agricultural BMPs, storm water abatement,
wetlands restoration and preservation, erosion
controls, source water protection, wildlife
habitat restoration, and purchases of
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conservation easements. Through SRF
assistance, these and other activities funded by
the SRF may be used to support the Plan's
Key Actions to: address beach and shellfish
area closings, implement coastal NFS
programs, establish conservation buffers on
agricultural lands, reduce polluted runoff from
animal feeding operations (AFOs), increase the
acreage of wetlands, address noncompliance
with existing Phase I storm water
requirements, and implement source water
protection programs.
Opportunities for SRF Involvement
Finally, the SRF will seek involvement in the
planning and implementation of various water
quality initiatives proposed in the CWAP.
Where possible, the SRF may be used as a
funding source. The expertise within the SRF
program could be utilized to: support the
activities of groups involved in the cleanup of
watersheds, assist in reviewing the
effectiveness of wetlands mitigation banking,
help states define watershed restoration
priorities, help orient federal programs on a
watershed basis and make them more
collaborative, and coordinate GPRA goals as
related to watershed management to identify
opportunities for pooling resources,
combining budgets, and reporting
accomplishments.
Proposed Activities...
IN support of our commitment to promote
and increase the use of integrated priority
setting systems, we are conducting regional
Funding Framework workshops throughout
the year. These workshops will train states in
the development and use of integrated priority
setting systems to make SRF funding
decisions. The workshops will also bring
together representatives from the SRF, NFS,
estuaries, wetlands and watershed community,
making the SRF an important tool in
supporting the watershed approach.
resources and encourage the use of loans to
support Key Actions of the CWAP, we will
reach out to key stakeholders and provide
guidance and assistance on revolving fund uses
specifically related to the Plan. Anticipated
subject areas for fact sheets include: continued
use of the SRF for wetlands restoration,
funding conservation easements, supporting
decentralized sewage management, and
funding BMPs to reduce polluted runoff from
AFOs. The SRF staff will also seek to be
involved in CWAP implementation activities.
Suggestions and feedback from the CWAP
community on ways to do so are welcome.
We will work with the Regions and States and
disseminate information to key CWAP
stakeholders. Q
For more information about the Clean
Water State Revolving Fund's role in
supporting the Clean Water Action Plan,
please contact:
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund Branch
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (Mailcode 4204)
Washington, D.C. 20460
Phone: (202) 260-7359 Fax: (202) 260-1827
e-mail: srfmfo@epamail.epa.gov
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/OWM
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To raise awareness of the SRF's vast
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