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President Clinton and Vice President Gore:
Protecting Our Environment and Public Health
Over the past seven years, President Clinton and Vice President
Gore have significantly strengthened protections for the environment
and public health, and won new resources to help states and communities
protect their water, land and coasts. Here are some of the ways the
state of West Virginia has benefited:
Accelerating Toxic Cleanups. The Clinton-Gore Administration has greatly
accelerated the cleanup of contaminated sites, protecting communities
and revitalizing local economies by returning land to productive use.
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Brownfields Administration initiatives have steered more than $110 million to more than 300 communities to assess, clean up and redevelop brownfields – abandoned, contaminated sites, usually in distressed urban neighborhoods. West Virginia has received two grants totaling $700,000.
Reducing Toxic Releases. The Administration has greatly expanded communities' right to know about toxic releases to air, water and land – increasing by 30 percent the number of facilities that must report their releases, and nearly doubling the number of chemicals subject to reporting. Increased disclosure has helped lead to dramatic reductions in toxic releases. Nationwide, reported releases dropped nearly 20 percent from 1992 to 1997. In West Virginia, toxic releases declined from 22,319,217 pounds in 1992 to 15,308,068 pounds in 1997.
Strengthening Water Quality Protections. Through a variety
of programs, the Administration has provided significant new resources
to states and communities to safeguard public health by improving drinking
water and to protect rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. These include:
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Clean Water State Revolving Fund This fund supports low-interest loans to help communities build and upgrade sewage treatment plants and other wastewater systems. Since 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency has provided $10.7 billion to states for these loans. West Virginia has received $173.5 million.
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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund This fund, proposed by President Clinton and enacted in 1996, supports low-interest loans to help communities build and upgrade their water treatment systems. Since 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency has provided nearly $3.5 billion to states for these loans. West Virginia has received $34.9 million.
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Polluted Runoff Grants These grants help states and communities develop programs to combat the largest remaining threat to water quality – polluted runoff from sources such as farms and city streets. Since 1993, EPA has provided grants totaling nearly $900 million. West Virginia has received $10.1 million.
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Rural Water Grants -- These grants and loans provide special assistance to small rural communities to upgrade their drinking water systems. Since 1993, the Department of Agriculture has provided nearly $9 billion in loans and grants. West Virginia has received $216.7 million.
Protecting Local Lands. The Administration has won significant new resources to help states, communities, and landowners protect farms and other local green spaces that support wildlife, recreation, and water quality.
April 2000
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