UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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^^Environmental News
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1974
EPA PUBLISHES FINAL REGULATIONS GOVERNING GRANTS FOR WASTE
TREATMENT PLANTS
Russell E. Train, Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, today announced the publication of final
regulations expediting the award of grants for the construction
of municipal waste treatment plants.
Train said, "The regulations have been extensively
revised and simplified since being issued last February
and we now believe that the funds can be moved rapidly to the
municipalities."
The regulations spell; but' the requirements and procedures
for obtaining a grant which can pay—75 percent of the cost of
building a treatment plant.
The Administrator said that an EPA-State task force which
he convened two weeks ago worked hard and very cooperatively
to make the regulations effective and workable, resolving
potential problems that some States had raised.
"We believe we have regulations now that the Federal
Government and the States can live with, and that can get
the job done in cleaning up the water,," he said.
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EPA FORM 1510-1 (REV. 9-725
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The final major adjustments that were made in the
regulations resulted in:
—More flexible State priority systems. The States would
now need to maintain only one list of waste treatment
plant projects which will be divided into funding priority
lists for particular fiscal years rather than separate
lists for each fiscal year.
—Simplifying the demands for sewer infiltration studies.
The State can now certify that a municipality has met this
requirement with the submission of only minimum data required.
A fuller survey of this problem will be required only where
excessive infiltration of water into a sewer is possible or likely.
—Deadlines being extended to June 30, 1975 for reimbursement
of Step 1 (facilities plans) or Step 2 (facilities plans
and specifications) grants involving work undertaken
without a formal grant. Eligible costs after that date
may be reimbursed where prior approval has been given by the EPA
regional administrator. Funds must be reserved for reimburse-
ments from current State allotments.
—Criteria being revised for obtaining architectural/
engineering services by the grantee. The revisions call
for fair and reasonable fees with a periodic inspection by
EPA and the States to see that the municipal-run service is
working. This section of the regulations is not included
in today's promulgation/ but will be proposed at a later
date to allow for public comment.
The regulations appear in the Federal Register today.
Although the regulations are final, EPA invites public comment
until April 15, 1974, because of the many changes made since
they were issued in interim form. If the comments warrant,
EPA will consider amending the regulations.
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