CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATES EARTH DAY Release No. 0127.97 Tom Amontree (202) 720-4623 Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623 CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATES EARTH DAY; ANNOUNCES $69 MILLION SAFE AND CLEAN WATER INVESTMENT FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES WASHINGTON, April 22, 1997--As part of Earth Day and the Clinton Administration's continuing nationwide initiative to provide safe and clean water to rural Americans who live without such basic resources, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that $69 million will be invested in 43 communities in 30 states to build, improve, or expand public drinking water and sewer systems. President Clinton said, "In an age when the great majority of Americans take safe and clean water for granted, there are still places in rural America where people do not have access to safe drinking water and sanitary sewage treatment. That's simply unacceptable and we are determined to correct the problem." "This round of water-related investments is part of the Administration's celebration of Earth Day,"Glickman said. "Protecting and improving natural resources like water is what Earth Day is about. We must continue to protect our aquifers for drinking, and our rivers and lakes for wildlife and recreation." USDA estimates that 2.5 million rural people have some of the nation's most serious drinking water availability, dependability and quality problems. This number includes almost one million rural Americans without access to any drinking water in their homes. Additionally, some four million rural people are living with the problems of unsanitary sewage disposal. Although water-related problems are more acute in certain low-income rural regions of the country the problem is not isolated, Glickman said. "We see them in Midwest farming communities, quaint New England towns, and within 50 miles of most major cities." USDA's water and sewer loan program is one of the most successful in the federal catalogue. In the program's 57 year history, USDA has loaned out $14 billion, and lost only $14 million--a loss rate of one-tenth of one percent. NOTE: Attached are water projects announced today STATE PROJECT LOAN GRANT TYPE AL PERRY COUNTY WATER $540,000 $504,000 AR PERRY(IN TOWN) 166,300 6,800 W AR PANGBURN 146,737 266,400 S AZ CITY OF ELOY 318,000 800,000 W CA ALLENSWORTH 114,540 506,250 IL FORD HEIGHTS 1,500,000 1,258,000 IA CITY OF ORIENT 415,000 735,000 S IA CITY OF ST. LUCAS 180,000 519,000 S IA CITY OF WESTGATE 191,000 352,000 S KY MARION COUNTY 249,000 163,000 KY NICHOLAS COUNTY 247,000 247,000 LA TOWN OF POLLACK 3,425,000 652,000 W/S LA WHITE CASTLE 230,000 W LA DE QUINCY 349,500 275,000 S ME ANDOVER WATER DISTRICT 200,000 W ME GREAT SALT BAY 700,000 W MD ALLEGANY (OLD TOWN) 245,000 550,000 MA SOUTHWICK 2,735,440 2,107,000 S MI VILLAGE OF BENZONIA 600,000 171,000 MI VILLAGE OF ROSCOMMON 1,532,000 1,300,000 S MN ORMSBY 250,000 175,000 MS HARMONY WATER ASSOC 1,144,000 1,400,000 W MS DELTA CITY 78,400 198,600 W MT COLUMBUS 2,064,000 W NV CITY OF LOVELOCK 1,600,000 300,000 S NH CITY OF BERLIN 1,500,000 W NJ ELMER 702,000 NM ACOMO PUEBLO 375,000 1,125,000 W NY TOWN OF GERMANTOWN 100,000 1,600,720 S ND MISSOURI WEST RURAL WATER 1,884,600 W OH VILLAGE OF NEW STRAITSVILLE 1,480,000 930,000 S OH HIGHLAND COUNTY WATER 325,000 W OR CITY OF WILLAMINA 790,000 W OR CITY OF REDMOND 5,000,000 2,000,000 S PA SHANNOCK VALLEY GENERAL 2,600,000 2,705,000 S PA OTTO TOWNSHIP 3,665,000 2,299,000 S TN WEST WARREN-VIOLA 597,000 398,000 W TN CALHOUN CHARLSTON UTILITY 103,000 S TX ARROYO WATER SUPPLY 593,800 756,200 W UT LEEDS TOWN 160,000 495,000 S WV REEDSVILLE 450,000 514,000 S WI VILLAGE OF CASCO 1,383,500 450,000 S TOTALS: $40,762,657 $28,320,170 GRAND TOTALS: $69,082,827 43 PROJECTS 30 STATES # NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet. Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov