For Immediate Release:
Thursday, July 8, 2010

Contact: John Krohn (202) 833-4655
Manager, Legislative Affairs

NACWA Applauds Introduction of Green Infrastructure Legislation in Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) applauds Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) for their leadership and vision in introducing the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act (S.3561) in the U.S. Senate.  The legislation seeks to increase green infrastructure (GI) in stormwater management by creating a program within EPA to provide resources for the planning and construction of GI projects.

NACWA has long advocated that GI should be integrated and accepted as a core program within EPA.  In 2007, NACWA signed the Statement of Intent on Green Infrastructure, which called for a greater collaborative effort to promote GI.  Since that time, increasing numbers of NACWA members have implemented GI projects demonstrating their ability to improve water quality and livability at an affordable cost.  This needed legislation is a key step toward ensuring that communities are provided regulatory credit for implementing GI solutions that benefit the environment and public health while increasing community livability.

The legislation also seeks to authorize a dedicated source of federal assistance for the planning and implementation of GI projects to help meet challenges posed by stormwater flows, one of the largest and growing sources of pollution entering our nation’s waters.   The recently released 2008 Clean Water Needs Survey, which reflects only a portion of the total need, shows the nation has $42.3 billion in stormwater management needs over the next twenty years.  This need will increase dramatically with the finalization of upcoming stormwater regulations. The assistance provided by this legislation will help put worthwhile projects in place that will mitigate pollution from stormwater runoff by retaining that runoff, and its pollutants, at the source and allowing natural processes to remove harmful contaminants.

Kevin Shafer, NACWA President and Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, applauded the introduction of the Senate bill, stating “I have seen first-hand the water quality benefits of Green Infrastructure projects.  NACWA strongly supports the work of Senators Udall and Whitehouse in raising the profile of these important projects and we look forward to helping garner additional support for this effort.”

NACWA applauds Senator Udall for his leadership on this important issue. We look forward to working with him to advance this bill swiftly in the 111th Congress given the benefits it will provide to water quality.