HARRISBURG – State Senator David G. Argall (R-29) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Keith R. McCall (D-122) today announced a state loan and grant that will improve the health and safety of Carbon County residents.
“When the Department of Environmental Protection mandates a new sewer system, the burden on our municipalities and ratepayers can be too much to bear,” McCall said. “That’s why the PENNVEST program is so vital – this funding helps to defray the cost of construction and keep rates as low as possible, and I’m proud to make sure Carbon County is always at the front of the line for PENNVEST dollars like these.”
“Without financial assistance and partnership from the Commonwealth, these improvement projects would not be possible,” Argall explained. This funding is critical for helping protect the health and safety of East Penn Township residents and to open up opportunities for economic growth and job creation,” Argall added.
According to the legislators, a $36,000 loan and a $3,773,800 grant has been awarded to East Penn Township for construction of a proposed sanitary sewer system providing approximately 15,000 gallons per day of capacity available for development in a location where no sewer system capacity is presently available.
In 2005, the Department of Environmental Protection imposed an “Order” to provide adequate sewage facilities for the area of West Bowmanstown. The Township adopted an Act 537 Official Sewage Facilities Plan in 2007, and has been working diligently to obtain necessary permitting for construction in 2009.
“The supervisors and residents of East Penn Township are exceedingly pleased and excited to be awarded the PENNVEST grant that will enable us to construct a sewer system in the West Bowmans area of the township,” said Supervisor William Schwab. We wish to thank Senator Argall and House Speaker McCall for all their efforts in assisting us with this project. Without their efforts this would not be possible,” Schwab added.
The funds were approved by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) board. PENNVEST is an independent agency managed by a 13-member Board of Directors and funded by nearly $2 billion from state appropriations, state bond sales, and federal grants. While helping hundreds of local governments take on clean water projects, PENNVEST funding has also generated thousands of construction jobs.
Contact:
Nick Troutman, Sen. David G. Argall
(717) 787-2637
Bob Caton, Rep. Keith McCall
(717) 783-1375