State’s clean water grant safe from EPA freeze

Grant funding for the Washington Department of Ecology’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund is not in danger after President Donald Trump has frozen the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s spending.

“We heard from the EPA … that grants issued to states are not frozen or otherwise impacted by the review being conducted by the new administration,” Department of Ecology Assistant Communications Director Dustin Terpening said.

The grant, which gives the state $24,383,000 over the course of five years (starting in 2014 and ending in 2019), is meant to provide additional capital for the state’s Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund, according to information about the grant on the EPA’s website, epa.gov.

“This capital will be used to offer low-interest loans to projects that will address the state’s high priority water quality needs,” the description states. “The projects receiving financial assistance will generally protect and restore water quality and aquatic habitat.”