NEWARK-U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced that New Jersey will receive $229 million through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rebuild and strengthen water infrastructure throughout New Jersey. As a result of Superstorm Sandy, water infrastructure sites such as the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) were seriously damaged, threatening the public's health and creating environmental hazards. Communities throughout the state will usethis fundingto strengthen water infrastructure sites so they are protected from future disasters.

"As New Jersey continues to recover and rebuild after Superstorm Sandy, we must make sure we invest in strengthening our water infrastructure to protect our communities from the next big storm. That storm showed us not only just how vulnerable our water systems are, but also how important clean water is to our public health,"said Senator Menendez."I am grateful for this funding, and will continue to fight for federal resources to help restore and improve New Jersey's infrastructure."

"Superstorm Sandydevastated our watertreatment facilities andexposed vulnerabilities in ourwater infrastructure. This federal funding will allowwater facilities andcommunities throughout the state torebuild stronger toensure drinking water isn'tcompromisedand wastewater doesn't threaten public health whenthe nextstorm hits,"said Senator Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a co-author of the Sandy relief bill."Clean water is an important priority and we'll keep fighting to improve water infrastructure at New Jersey's facilities and in communities across the state."

The needto modernize New Jersey's water infrastructure was highlighted during Superstorm Sandy when two of New Jersey's largest wastewater treatment plants, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC)and the Middlesex County Utility Authority (MCUA), lost power and sustained significant damage. As a result, millions of gallons of untreated, and partially treated, sewage flowed directly into Newark Bay and the Raritan River.

In response to this damage, Senator Lautenberg sent aletterin February to EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe urging him to act quickly to release the $600 million in water infrastructurefunding that was included in the Superstorm Sandy relief package. Today's$229 million awardis for NewJersey's portion of that funding. These funds, administered by EPA through the State Revolving Fund programs under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, can be used tomodernizeand improve the resiliency of New Jersey's water facilities, including projects to prevent future sewage overflows.

In January, the President signed the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Appropriations bill into law, bringing the total Sandy aid enacted by Congress to $60.2 billion. The funding package included federal aid to help homeowners, businesses, and communities recover, and resources to rebuild coastal, transportation, and water infrastructure.

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