New aid arriving for water infrastructure upgrades
Historic investments in water infrastructure and brownfield clean-up efforts are gradually moving forward in Vermont.
A view along Route 4 in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Vermont will receive $63,041,000 in funding for drinking water systems and wastewater treatment as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden late last month, and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Gov. Phil Scott (R) announced the new funding on Thursday. This money will go into the state’s revolving loan funds for drinking water and wastewater. Those funds are loaned or granted to municipalities for constructing, improving or expanding public drinking water and wastewater systems. This funding is in addition to the state’s annual allocation of approximately $15.8 million for the revolving loan funds, bringing the total federal funding for 2022 to nearly $80 million, according to Thursday’s announcement.
In the statement, Scott said these historic investments in this infrastructure offer a unique opportunity for Vermont towns and cities, including during their long-term economic recovery from the pandemic.
“My administration has made these kinds of investments a top priority, and because of (our Congressional Delegation’s) work, we will be able to have a huge impact on communities in all 14 counties, helping them build back more prosperous and resilient,” Scott said.
Leahy, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, also noted the importance to local economies.
“We all know Vermont needs more housing of all types, but one of the barriers to building that housing has long been a lack of sufficient water and wastewater infrastructure,” he said. “Vermonters across the state have expressed a desire for vibrant, walkable downtowns, where people can step outside their doors and walk to local businesses. Realizing that vision requires precisely the infrastructure that these investments will fund.”
Vt. brownfield clean-up investment moves forward
More than $7 million of the $25 million appropriated for brownfield site remediation has been committed to 10 projects across Vermont, state officials announced in a Friday statement.
The funding was previously announced by Gov. Phil Scott as part of Act 74 and represents the first-time state dollars have been allocated to brownfield sites, officials said. Historically, remediation projects have been funded exclusively by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On Friday, the governor said the impact of the funding “will be transformational for Vermont communities” from economic and environmental standpoints.
Act 74 appropriated $11 million to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development; $10 million of which makes up the Brownfields Revitalization Fund used to fund clean-up projects at brownfield sites that can show transformational economic development outcomes, Friday’s announcement stated.
The Act also appropriated $14 million to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to help with the remediation of sites enrolled in the state’s Brownfield Economic Revitalization Alliance (BERA). These BERA projects represent some of the most costly and complicated clean-ups in Vermont. To date, ANR has committed $4.5 million of those dollars to two projects: the former Fonda Container Company site in St. Albans and the Jones and Lamson site in Springfield.
— Gareth Henderson
Gov. Scott meets with Biden; Democrats unveil $3.5T bill
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott visited the White House on Wednesday to talk infrastructure with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and also state and local leaders.
A view from Cabot Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott visited the White House on Wednesday to talk infrastructure with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and also state and local leaders.
Scott was among a small bipartisan group of governors and mayors visiting Washington, D.C., who also met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Boston's former mayor. The main topic of the day was the Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, which proposes $1.2 trillion in infrastructure investments.
In a statement released Wednesday, Scott noted the nation's great infrastructure needs and the importance of uniting around opportunities to address them.
“As I have long said, smart infrastructure investments are needed to repair America’s roads and bridges, invest in rural broadband and clean energy systems, create good jobs, and secure our economic future,” Scott said.
The president's proposed framework includes funding for "clean transportation infrastructure, clean water infrastructure, universal broadband infrastructure, clean power infrastructure, remediation of legacy pollution, and resilience to the changing climate," according to the White House.
The meeting with governors came after Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a $3.5 trillion investment plan that would be in addition to the existing $1.2 trillion infrastructure proposal, Reuters reported. The Senate Democrats' proposal focuses on what Biden has called "human infrastructure", including health care and home care workers. The $3.5 trillion plan would include a substantial expansion of the Medicare program, and further details were expected to be released this week.
So far, the Senate's 50 Republicans are not expected to back the plan, Reuters said, meaning Democrats may use the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill by a simple majority vote.
— Gareth Henderson