On June 6 President Trump signed into law a $19.1 billion emergency supplemental spending bill that will aid communities affected by recent wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The measure includes $296 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWRSF) dollars that will be made available to communities in EPA regions 4, 9, and 10 that were impacted in 2018 by Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Typhoon Yutu, or any wildfires or earthquakes.
EPA will distribute the DWSRF funds to eligible states with drinking water systems affected by the natural disasters, with the condition that between 20 and 30 percent of the funding be issued as grants or negative interest loans. SRF funds awarded under the supplemental bill must be used on projects intended to “reduce flood or fire damage risk and vulnerability or to enhance resiliency to rapid hydrologic change or natural disaster.” In addition to the DWSRF funds, the final bill includes $53.3 million in CWSRF dollars to be made available to wastewater systems under the same conditions, for the same purpose.
Other parts of the measure include $1 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prepare for flood, hurricane and other natural disasters, as well as support for emergency operations, repairs, and other activities carried out in response to natural disasters.
The Senate approved the measure in late May just before lawmakers departed for their Memorial Day recess, and the bill won House approval as soon as most lawmakers returned from the weeklong break. President Trump signed the legislation into law days later.