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!/VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW MEASURES TO PROVIDE SAFER.../SCROLL
FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2000
Vice President Gore today announced new measures to provide safer drinking water for 40 million Americans.
The press release is attached. For further information, contact Robin Woods at 202 260-4377.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release Contact:
March 28, 2000 (202) 456-7035
VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW MEASURES TO PROVIDE
SAFER DRINKING WATER FOR 40 MILLION AMERICANS
Washington, D.C.--Vice President Gore today unveiled steps to protect an additional 40
million Americans from potentially dangerous microbes, including Cryptosporidium, in their
drinking water. A new standard proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide
the first-ever protection against these contaminants for people in small communities. This
proposal is expected to prevent as many as 83,000 cases of waterborne illness each year.
In addition, the Vice President announced how the President's proposed $825 million Safe
Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund for fiscal year 2001 would be allocated among all the states if
fully funded by Congress.
"Americans enjoy some of the safest drinking water in the world. Today, more than 90
percent of the people served by community water systems receive tap water that meets all federal
health standards," Gore said. "I am proud of this Administration's commitment to ensuring that
every American receives safe, healthy drinking water from their tap. I am dedicated to ensuring
that they receive the resources they need to continue to make that happen."
Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite found in animal and other organic wastes, is one
of several potentially harmful microbes that can contaminate drinking water. It is highly
resistant to traditional disinfection treatments, and requires advanced filtration and other
processes to be removed from water. A 1993 Cryptosporidium outbreak in Milwaukee sickened 400,000
people, hospitalized more than 4,000, and caused more than 50 deaths among people with weakened
immune systems. Since then, there have been smaller cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Nevada, Oregon
and Georgia.
In December l998, President Clinton announced the first public health standards to remove
Cryptosporidium in large water systems that serve 140 million people, to prevent up to 460,000
cases of waterborne illness a year. The l998 standards strengthened filtration and monitoring
requirements to remove Cryptosporidium and other microbes.
Today's proposal would extend these public health protections by requiring 11,500 small
water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people each to protect against Cryptosporidium and will
improve treatment processes at water systems of all sizes. Currently, more than 18 million people
are served by these smaller water systems. To help communities upgrade their water systems, the
Administration's FY 2001 budget proposes $825 million for the Safe Drinking Water revolving Loan
Fund. The fund, created by the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments signed in l996 by President
Clinton, provides grants to make low-interest loans to cities to upgrade the nation's drinking
water systems. This initiative maintains that fifteen percent of the loans must go to small
communities.
Since 1996, this revolving loan fund has made almost $3.6 billion available to water
systems around the country, and this month, the EPA will have funded over 1,000 loans and grants
under this program. Vice President Gore's announcement unveils what the President's proposed $825
million would mean for every state in the country. (A list of state-by-state allocations is
attached.)
EPA will take public comment for 60 days on the proposals, called the "Long Term 1
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Proposed Rule" and the "Filter Backwash Proposed Rule."
Additional information on the proposals can be found at: epa.gov or by
calling EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
BREAKDOWN OF SAFE DRINKING WATER GRANTS:
Following is a list of the funds that would be allocated under the President's FY2001 budget
proposal:
State FY01 request
Alabama $9,279,900
Alaska $7,806,300
Arizona $7,955,400
Arkansas $11,106,800
California $84,525,400
Colorado $10,503,400
Connecticut $7,806,300
Delaware $7,806,300
Florida $22,628,500
Georgia $16,720,600
Hawaii $7,806,300
Idaho $7,806,300
Illinois $27,134,300
Indiana $9,523,100
Iowa $12,319,800
Kansas $10,970,800
Kentucky $11,895,400
Louisiana $10,906,300
Maine $7,806,300
Maryland $7,806,300
Massachusetts $30,051,400
Michigan $22,966,700
Minnesota $12,996,600
Mississippi $9,067,300
Missouri $10,496,000
Montana $7,806,300
Nebraska $7,806,300
Nevada $7,806,300
New Hampshire $7,806,300
New Jersey $19,016,600
New Mexico $7,806,300
New York $49,396,100
North Carolina $14,096,400
North Dakota $7,806,300
Ohio $24,999,900
Oklahoma $11,207,700
Oregon $11,584,300
Pennsylvania $24,560,000
Puerto Rico $11,208,500
Rhode Island $7,806,300
South Carolina $8,407,200
South Dakota $7,806,300
Tennessee $10,476,800
Texas $59,210,000
Utah $7,806,300
Vermont $7,806,300
Virginia $15,231,900
Washington $21,013,000
West Virginia $7,806,300
Wisconsin $10,466,800
Wyoming $7,806,300
D.C. $7,806,300
Territories $2,576,100
Tribal $12,375,000
Unregulated Contaminants $2,000,000
Operator Certification $30,000,000
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