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WASHINGTON -- Vice President Gore has announced the individual state funding for the President's proposed $725 million Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund for fiscal 1998.
The Vice President released state-by-state allocation figures under the President's proposal at a White House ceremony. The President's proposed Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund will help communities upgrade deteriorating drinking water systems and provide safer drinking water for all Americans.
"We can protect the public health by giving local communities the resources they need to rebuild their drinking water systems," said the Vice President. "Our proposed budget gives every state in the country at least $7 million to upgrade their drinking water infrastructures. It's a small investment that will pay enormous dividends."
The administration called for key reforms in the Safe Drinking Water Act in September 1993. Congress responded and, last year, the President signed the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 to strengthen protections and provide resources to help communities provide clean drinking water. This new law included a first-ever Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund to provide communities across the country with the resources to upgrade systems and improve the quality of their drinking water.
The law authorizes up to $9.6 billion that would go to states for such upgrades through the year 2003. President Clinton has proposed $3 billion for this purpose in his budget requests since fiscal 1994, including the $725 million in his 1998 budget.
"I call on Congress to pass our balanced budge plan when members return from their recess -- and to provide adequate funding for the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund," said the Vice President. "America's families are depending on it."
The top five states for allocations are: California - $77,108.200; Texas - $54,014,000; New York - $45,061,600; Massachusetts - $27,414,400; Illinois - $24,753,200.
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