People living in rural towns throughout the state are hoping that Congress will vote to allow them access to federal dollars that towns can use to clean up local water sources.
The proposed Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM), which has been passed by the Senate, includes a bundle of agriculture subsidies, including one allocating funding to address the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) backlog of applications for water and wastewater projects.
In a conference call with Wawarsing Town Supervisor Scott Carlsen and Arcadia Supervisor Dick Colacino, Sen. Charles Schumer called on the House of Representatives to accept the farm bill already passed by the Senate, which includes an amendment that reinstates mandatory funding and increases the population limits, allowing more towns to qualify.
The Senate bill allows rural towns or communities with less than 50,000 people to apply for federal grants from the USDA for water and wastewater projects. Currently, the wastewater program has a population limit of 10,000, and a related Community Facilities program has a limit of 20,000.
Schumer said the change in eligibility criteria allows around 60 towns and communities in upstate New York able to apply for “game-changing” federal funding.
“This is really good news for upstate New York. It’s one of the biggest benefits of the agriculture bill,” Schumer said.
Aging wastewater plant
In 2010, the USDA changed the criteria for what constitutes a rural town, and many that had previously received federal funding for water treatment are no longer eligible.
Scott Carlsen, said under the Senate’s farm bill, his town was able to file an exception request with the USDA. Wawarsing’s population, around 13,000 as of the 2010 census, came in slightly above the USDA’s eligibility levels.
The wastewater plant in our town was constructed in 1932, and was last updated in 1958, Carlsen said. It services 700 residents, plus industrial sites, and two-thirds of the correctional facilities for some 2,000 inmates, he added.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
