Several provisions proposed by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) to fix water infrastructure problems plaguing central New York and communities across the country have become law as part of the nation’s larger spending package, which the president signed on March 23 to fund the federal government through Sept. 30.
“I’m proud to announce that, because of my efforts, we have achieved a significant funding increase to study and help mitigate harmful algal blooms,” Rep. Katko told constituents during a March 26 press event held at Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in central New York.
“In addition, I’m proud to have delivered an increase in funding to the State Revolving Funds to assist state and local governments with water infrastructure needs, and to reauthorize the Brownfields Program, which provides the funding necessary to rehabilitate blighted land,” the congressman said.
The increased federal funding for these and other projects is included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, H.R. 1625, a $1.3 trillion spending package that includes a $1.3 million increase in funds targeted at toxic harmful algal blooms, and a $600 million increase in funding for Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds programs.
“I’ll continue to work alongside our local advocates to ensure communities throughout this district have access to clean, safe drinking water,” Katko said during the press conference, where he was joined by a bipartisan group of elected officials from Onondaga and Cayuga Counties and leaders of the Skaneateles Lake Association and the Owasco Watershed Lake Association.
Rep. Katko also recalled that about a year ago, standing near Owasco Lake in Cayuga County, he had discussed the necessity for improving the community’s water infrastructure and his commitment toward reaching that goal in Congress.
“Since then, central New York has continued to face significant water infrastructure challenges, especially with the recent detection of harmful algal blooms in Skaneateles Lake,” the congressman said. “That’s why I’ve continued to fight to ensure our community has the resources it needs to provide clean drinking water to families and businesses.”
The Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2017, H.R. 1758, which U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) introduced on March 28, 2017 with Rep. Katko as an original cosponsor, also was included in the federal spending package. The provision reauthorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program, which provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes and others to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties, according to the EPA.
Central New York’s Onondaga Lake next to the city of Syracuse was designated a Superfund site in 1994 due to its industrial pollution. “The Brownfields Program has been a critical aid to the redevelopment and reuse of blighted properties not only in Syracuse, but also in Auburn, Fulton, Oswego and Wolcott, among other sites throughout the region,” Katko said last year when he introduced H.R. 1758. “Redevelopment of Brownfields sites helps to revitalize neighborhoods, spur economic development, and create jobs.”
The federal spending bill also maintains funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and programs administered under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, among other programs, according to a summary provided by Katko’s office.