As AMWA develops comments in response to EPA’s recent Information Collection Request (ICR) on the agency’s draft application materials for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) pilot program, the association is asking members to share their own thoughts and suggestions about the draft materials.
The ICR released on May 23 demonstrates that EPA plans to use a two-step application process for WIFIA when the program begins soliciting projects during the 2017 fiscal year. First, potential applicants would complete an initial “letter of interest” that EPA would use to screen projects for WIFIA eligibility and to rank proposed projects against selection criteria mandated by Congress and developed by the agency. According to the ICR, EPA would then invite the sponsors of selected projects to submit a formal WIFIA application – along with nonrefundable application fee of $100,000. The information provided with the formal application, according to EPA, would be used to ensure the creditworthiness of a project and calculate the amount of budget authority needed to finance it. An additional credit processing fee of approximately $200,000 would be due upon loan closing.
Comments on EPA’s draft application materials are due to the agency by July 22, so AMWA is asking members to share their thoughts with the association by July 1 to ensure they are reflected in AMWA’s comments. AMWA members may submit feedback on the application materials to Dan Hartnett at [email protected]. Utilities wishing to also submit their own comments directly to EPA may do so online via EPA’s Federal Register notice.