<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Segoe UI";
panose-1:2 11 5 2 4 2 4 2 2 3;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:JA;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D78AC0.19FCC9B0"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:JA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">August 6, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Gov. Little prioritizes clean, reliable water systems with new planning grants<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Local communities in Idaho will be better able to quickly apply for and execute new upgrades to wastewater and drinking water systems in the coming years after Governor Brad
Little directed funds this week to cover additional grants for their engineering and planning costs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little announced today he directed $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to administer additional planning grants
to local communities. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“I’ve stated from the start that we would prioritize these federal relief funds for long-range investments that will benefit our grandchildren – the generation that will have to pay
off the massive federal debt. Clean, reliable water sources are fundamental to the health and prosperity of Idaho citizens and businesses now and in the future,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> Governor Little said.
<b>“Millions of dollars in new funding are available to local governments to significantly improve their water systems in the coming years but in order for them to access the funds, they need to start planning right now. These new planning grants help ensure
communities across Idaho are in the best position possible to significantly upgrade the water systems we rely on.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho received $1.2 billion in ARPA state fiscal recovery funds, which can be used for local water projects. Governor Little will seek legislative approval next session to devote additional
funds toward new water projects, but under U.S. Treasury guidance the projects must be completed by the end of 2026.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">That means local governments need to get their required engineering reports done as quickly as possible. The $2 million in new planning grants will be used to develop the engineering reports
that identify the most cost-effective and environmentally sound method of upgrading a system to achieve and maintain compliance with state and federal standards.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The funding for the additional planning grants comes from an appropriation of $50 million from the ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Fund to the Idaho Division of Financial Management for the
current fiscal year through the passage of </span><a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2021/legislation/H0370/"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">House Bill 370</span></a><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:JA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison, Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">208-943-1686 or
</span><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">--<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D#_blank"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Sign
up to receive news from Governor Little</span></i></a><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>