UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 POSTAGE AND FEES PAID U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY EPA-335 OFFIC IAL BUSINESS PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER U&MAIL Environmental News FOR RELEASE AFTER 11:00 A.M. MONDAY, JULY 14, 1975 EPA CONSTRUCTION GRANTS TOTAL $3.6 BILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 1975 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Russell E. Train announced today that grant obligations for Fiscal Year 1975 for the construction of sewage treatment facilities totalled $3.6 billion, reflecting a significant speed up in the construction grant program. Train also announced that President Ford had approved the addition of 300 new positions to strengthen the management and conduct of the sewage treatment grant program. "President Ford has continually given a high priority to our construction grants effort," Train said, "and he has supported our requests for increased manpower and funding." Train said the sewage treatment construction program is a prime example of a major environmental effort that yields signi- ficant economic benefits. "We estimate," he said, "that the program at the present time accounts for about 125,000 on-site and off-site jobs Nation- wide. We expect this figure to grow to about 200,000 jobs by the end of Fiscal Year 1977." He noted that "these figures would be much higher if allowance were made for the ripple, or multiplier, effect in other sectors of the economy." ' Return this sheet if you do NOT wish to receive this material O. or if change of address is needed ~ (indicate change, including zip code). EPA FORM 1510-1 (REV. ^72) Niles (202) 755-0344 Acly (202) 755-0344 R-172 (more) ------- -2- "The 1975 obligations," he said, "were $200 million higher than our administrative target for the year. Almost $2.4 billion of this amount was obligated during the past four months, since establishment of obligation quotas in March. Obligations for the period March through June totalled $2,388 billion, or $214 million above the four-month quota of $2,174 billion. "In fiscal year 1976 we had 707 positions in the construc- tion grants and auditing program," Train said, "compared to 545 positions in fiscal 1975. This manpower increase was achieved entirely by shifting personnel within EPA into the construction grants effort. The President's new authorization, which includes 50 transfers from within the Agency and 250 entirely new positions, will bring the total number of people in this program to 1007. I want to add that the great majority of these new people will be hired in our 10 regional offices." The EPA Administrator highlighted recent actions taken by the Agency to improve the grants program performance. He cited increased emphasis on program management under a National Program Manager, delegation of authority and decentralization to permit the States to assume a greater role in administration of the grants program, increasing manpower levels within the program to accelerate processing, more attention to individual projects, and easing the backlog that has been confronting construction grants personnel. # # # (NOTE TO EDITORS: A State by State listing of Fiscal Year 1975 obligations is attached.) R-172 ------- EPA CONSTRUCTION GRANT OBLIGATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1975 UNDER PL 92-500, BY STATES TOTALS 3.fi15r919.fi94 REGION I 229,390,489 Connecticut 47,603,906 Maine 2b,9/3,131 Massachusetts 89,879,400 New Hampshire 38,933,4// Rhode Island ZU,Wb,ZW Vermont b,0Sb,32b REGION II b3b,4//,1b4 New Jersey 202.790,904 Nev York ^00,360,972 Puerto Rico 30,734,528 Virgin Islands 1.590.750 REGION III 453,439,172 Delaware 3?,831,770 Maryland 82.694.240 Pennsylvania 162,048.369 Virginia 106.416.393 West VirRinia 21.799.660 Dist.of Columbia 47.648.740 REGION IV 403.674.059 Alabama 28.453.105 Florida 188.602.899 Georgia 38.644.511 Kentucky 27.889.459 Mississippi 16.387.199 North Carolina 33.948.293 South Carolina 21.273.864 Tennessee 48.474.729 REGION V 1 ,059,802,492 Illinois 285.305.392 Indiana 102.740.632 Michigan 311.965.061 Minnesota 115.247,920 Ohio 191.858,592 Wisconsin 52.684.895 REGION VI 166,216,390 Arkansas 8,064,674 Louisiana 27.442.252 New Mexico 6.916.340 Oklahoma 16.228.9?? Texas 107.564.209 REGION VII 126.655.524 Iowa 19.672.263 Kansas 15.829.132 Missouri 66.371.039 Nebraska 24.783.090 REGION VIII 64,360,371 Colorado 24,b48,y Montana b,idy/,y vi North Dakota 5,BJ8 ,t>D& South Dakota J,<4//,SI* Utah Wyoming 3,421 ,<20o REGION IX 47/ ,/y4,86B Arizona 28,009,476 California •589.^44.4^4 Hawaii 43,336,/bU Nevada 9.UU/.IU American Samoa 127.500 Tr.Terr.of Pac.Islds. 1,0b/,St> !> Guam 7.002.050 REGION X 99,109,175 Alaska 1R 35(1,513 Idaho Q 13?,7Rd Oregon in 393,/lfi? Washington 64,302-AIŁ ------- |