The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has allotted more than $299 million to New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico to help finance improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment. New York state received $197 million, New Jersey $74 million and Puerto Rico $27 million.

The clean water program provides low-interest loans for water quality protection projects to make improvements to wastewater treatment systems, control pollution from rainwater runoff and protect sensitive water bodies and estuaries. The drinking water program provides low-interest loans to finance improvements to drinking water systems, with a particular focus on providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities.

Source: EPA press releases

Baltimore Steps Up Grease Enforcement Efforts on Restaurants

Under a court-mandated consent decree with the EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) since 2002, Baltimore has increased efforts to control the amount of fats, oils and grease from entering the sewer system by setting up a FOG program.

“The city is required to submit annual reports on this program … The development and implementation of the FOG program is an ongoing process, and MDE will continue to review the program to ensure continued progress,” MDE spokesperson Jay Apperson wrote in an email, confirming that the city has fulfilled the requirements of the consent decree in regards to a grease control program.

Engineering firm KCI Technologies and EBA Consulting have inspected nearly 3,500 facilities to gather information on grease control measures to provide a baseline of data for future reference. Of those, about 1,100 were found noncompliant on first inspection, and about 15 percent of the facilities had no grease control device at all.

Source: City Paper

Trial to Decide Fate of Missoula’s Water

The City of Missoula, Montana, is attempting to force the sale of its water utility from current owners, Mountain Water Company and the Carlyle Group, in a suit filed nearly a year ago. The trial began March 18 and will conclude April 2.

According to Montana Public Radio, the city is trying to take ownership through a legal process called eminent domain by claiming the water is too important to the public good to leave in the hands of a company that wants to sell the utility for a profit.

“I’ve been tracking and looking closely at their balance sheet deficit which stands over half-a-billion dollars,” Missoula City Councilman Bryan Von Lossberg said to KPAX News. “And the fact [is] that they have a multi-year track record of paying out more money in dividends than they have retained in earnings. And that’s concerning when you go and look at the long-term viability of the company.”

Currently, Missoula is the only major city in the state that doesn’t own its own water, while 128 other Montana cities own theirs.

Source: MTPR.org, KPAX.com