[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E472]]
                   CLEAN WATER LEVEL OF EFFORT GRANTS

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                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 1995
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, today, along with the other Members of the 
Wisconsin delegation, I am introducing the Level of Effort Clean Water 
Bonus Fund Act of 1995. This bill would amend the Clean Water Act to 
set aside 20 percent of the amount provided annually for federal 
capitalization grants under the State Revolving Loan Fund [SRF] Program 
and use those funds to provide grants to States that have devoted 
financial resources to the SRF or other wastewater treatment grant 
programs beyond the minimum required under the program.
  States which have made clean water a top priority and have invested 
resources toward wastewater treatment beyond what is required under the 
Clean Water Act naturally have seen significant improvement in their 
water quality. Unfortunately, since Federal funds are distributed 
through a formula which is based in large part on needs, these States 
find that the Federal response to their hard efforts is to reduce their 
Federal funds. States which have not devoted the resources necessary to 
make real improvements in their water quality, for lack of effort or 
other reasons, will receive an increase in Federal funding.
  This is an approach which does not make sense to me. Too many of our 
Federal programs contain disincentives for States to invest their own 
funds beyond the minimum required. An incentive grant program would 
recognize the hard budget choices and efforts made by States which 
overmatch the required SRF contribution and it would encourage other 
States to invest greater resources in this program in the future. I 
believe this is a more rational policy than rewarding States which do 
less by giving them more Federal money.
  As Congress begins the Clean Water reauthorization process, I hope 
that we will take a look at how we spend our Federal dollars and use 
those dollars to provide incentives to States so that overall spending 
on clean water will increase, and our water quality will improve as 
well.


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