CONGRESSMAN SESTAK APPLAUDS IMPORTANT INVESTMENT TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY IN PENNSYLVANIA EPA ANNOUNCES $21.7 MILLION FOR PA CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND. - States News Service

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by the office of Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak:

Today, Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) applauds the further investment of economic stimulus money in Pennsylvania, this time to provide the PA Infrastructure and Investment Authority (PENNVEST) with $21,674,730 for clean water projects throughout the state.

'This funding recognizes that often the source of pollution of our waterways is result of a failure over the last several decades to properly invest in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure in this state and in the Nation at large,' said Congressman Sestak. 'Recognizing the damage done by this underinvestment is why I have co-sponsored HR 537, the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Act, which would remove the limits on the use of tax exempt bonds and allow local communities to leverage the capital markets in combination with other financial mechanisms for the building and repair of water systems.

Congressman Sestak has been a strong supporter of clean water legislation in Congress. In the 110th Congress, he was a co-sponsor of HR 2421, the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would have restored the Clean Water Act's protections for America's rivers, lakes and wetlands as they existed for the 30 years prior to two recent Supreme Court rulings. These Supreme Court decisions in 2001 (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corps of Engineers ('SWANCC')) and in 2006 (Rapanos v. United States) dramatically narrowed the scope of waters protected by the Clean Water Act, fostering confusion and uncertainty for communities and businesses thus making it difficult to protect public health and the environment. Unfortunately, this legislation did not become law.

In the 111th Congress, he continues to support steps to protect our rivers and streams. He has cosponsored, H.R. 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act, which would amend the Clean Water Act to define 'fill material' to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.

He is also a co-sponsor of HR 753 and HR 2093. HR 753, the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act, would require wastewater treatment operators to better monitor and report on sewage overflows and provide public notice of each event. HR 2093, the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009, would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set criteria for the monitoring and assessing coastal recreation waters adjacent to public access points, such as beaches detect pathogenic contamination. It would also ensure quality monitoring and notification programs for coastal recreation water that include prevention efforts to address identified sources of contamination by pathogens and pathogen indicators in such waters that are used by the public.

Congressman Sestak has also taken a number of steps locally to improve water quality. He secured over $300,000 in federal funding and partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for a comprehensive watershed management project. This funding will go toward a District-wide project to enhance watershed infrastructure, including work on culverts and sewers, as well as environmental restoration of Pennsylvania creeks, in the Seventh Congressional District.

He has also secured $250,000 to upgrade a wastewater treatment facility at Cheyney University, which serves the university and the surrounding community and will result in the ability to treat the water more thoroughly, and $400,000 to separate a combined sewer system in Bridgeport Borough so that raw sewage is not released during heavy rain downpour.

PENNVEST, or the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, helps fund sewer, storm water and drinking water projects throughout the Commonwealth. They can be reached at:

All Counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Veronica Kasi (Headquarters)

Direct: (717) 772-4053

David Mittner (Stormwater)

Direct: (717) 772-4058

400 Market Street, 11th floor,

P.O. Box 8555

Harrisburg, PA 17105-8555

Phone: (717) 772-4054

Fax: (717) 772-3249

Southeast Regional Office

Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia

John Fabian (Water)

James McTish (Wastewater)

2 East Main Street

Norristown, PA 19401

Phone: (484) 250-5900

Northeast Regional Office

Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming

Richard Stepanski (Water)

Joe Buczynski (Wastewater)

Direct: (570) 826-2333

2 Public Square

Wilkes-Barre PA 18711-0790

Phone: (570) 826-2511

Fax: (610) 832-6259/6260

South-Central Regional Office

Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, York

Tom Shaul (Water)

Ed Corriveau (Wastewater)

909 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110-8200

Phone: (717) 705-4700

Fax: (717) 705-4930

North-Central Regional Office

Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union

John Hamilton (Water)

Direct: (570) 327-3673

Rob Boos (Wastewater)

Direct: (570) 327-3690

208 North Third Street Suite 101

Williamsport, PA 17701

Phone: (570) 327-3636

Southwest Regional Office

Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland

Christine Marincic (Water)

Direct: (724) 442-4217

500 Waterfront Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745

Phone: (724) 442-4000

Dale Mills (Wastewater)

400 Waterfront Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745

Phone: (724) 442-4000

Northwest Regional Office

Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Wareen

Brad Schott (Water)

Direct: (814) 332-6660

Mike Zimmerman (Wastewater)

Direct: (814) 332-6942

230 Chestnut Street

Meadville, PA 16335

Phone: (814) 332-6945

Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of 'Deep Blue,' the Navy's anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the 'Global War on Terrorism.' He served as President Clinton's Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to the U.S. Congress.