Senate EPW Previews Water Infrastructure Targets For Funding, Equity

摘要

Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee members at a March 17 hearing highlighted key issues that will likely inform upcoming comprehensive drinking water and wastewater infrastructure legislation, including funding and grant increases, a focus on bolstering environmental justice, and addressing water system workforce attrition. EPW Chairman Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) has set an "aggressive timeline" for moving a bipartisan bill, said panel ranking member Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) at the hearing, which comes as authorization for many current drinking water and wastewater loan and grant programs are expiring at the end of this fiscal year. Later the same day, Carper told the Environmental Council of the States' virtual spring meeting, "We hope to be able to report it out of committee, if not this month, next month." Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who chairs EPW's Fisheries, Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, in her opening statement at the hearing said she is working on the bill with Carper and Capito and outlined a few of her priorities. "We must increase federal investments in EPA water and wastewater infrastructure programs in order to modernize our system."