紐約州水利告危 急需500億治水預算 | 環境資訊中心
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紐約州水利告危 急需500億治水預算

2008年09月08日
摘譯自2008年9月2日ENS美國,紐約州,奧本尼報導;劉仲恩編譯;蔡麗伶、禾引審校

2007年紐約環保署廢水處理海報比賽得獎作品(圖片來源:Sarah Kuzmack, Comsewogue High School)紐約州州長派特森(David Peterson)日前向聯邦政府喊話,請聯邦政府協助紐約州保護境內的湖泊、河川與溪流。

聯邦政府對水利建設的挹注,在過去20年中縮減了70%,造成許多維護工程執行緩慢,也導致了許多清潔水法(Clean Water Act)的違規案例。

因為缺乏聯邦資金,紐約州政府必須在未來的 20年間投注500億的資金為水利建設升級,以符合國家規定。

派特森說:「無論怎樣的經濟狀況,重建這些水利建設將是巨大的財政負擔,與其等待遙遙無期的撥款,我們支持紐約州向聯邦政府申請經費完成必要的修繕與升級。」

2008年8月間,紐約州長召集了一個環境小組,商討如何解決該州當前的水利建設危機。

該清潔水小組(Clean Water Collaborative)將定位於解決該州廢水處理與飲用水的財政問題。

具紐約州的環境保育部估計,在未來20年間需要投入362億於整治廢水處理系統,另外花費200億元於整修飲用水設施。

紐約州許多的下水道與廢水處理設施早過了它們的使用年限。30%的下水道建於二戰結束,1/4的廢水處理廠已使用超過30年。

該州超過200個市鎮因為下水道滲漏或是其他設施老舊問題,而違反清潔水法。

在此同時,聯邦政府的補助日益減少。在1987年,聯邦政府提供了24億元貸款給各州作廢水處理,到了2008年,這補助只剩下6億8700萬元。

在紐約州,聯邦補助從1991年的2億2700萬下降到2007的7510萬。

美國的環保署在最近的一份報告中指出聯邦的貸款協助計畫將在2011年告終,而紐約州長派特森與紐約市市長彭博都寫信給參眾議院,請求他們繼續支持這項貸款援助計畫。

New York Needs $50 Billion to Keep Waters Clean
ALBANY, New York, September 2, 2008 (ENS) -

New York Governor David Paterson is calling on the federal government to help New York's municipalities maintain lakes, rivers and streams.

Federal support for water infrastructure has plummeted roughly 70 percent over the last two decades, delaying critical maintenance and contributing to Clean Water Act violations.

Due to decreasing federal aid, New York communities will have to spend in excess of $50 billion over the next 20 years to make required upgrades to meet federal requirements.

"Under any economic conditions, the fiscal burden of rebuilding our water infrastructure would be daunting. Rather than wait until they are handed the bill for these required repairs, we need to support New York's municipalities in getting federal funding for needed repairs and upgrades," said Governor Paterson.

In August, the governor formed an environmental and government collaborative to help tackle the water infrastructure crisis facing New York state.

The Clean Water Collaborative will focus on funding solutions for the state's mounting wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs.

The Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that repairs for municipal wastewater treatment systems statewide will be $36.2 billion over the next 20 years, while repairs for drinking water infrastructure could exceed $20 billion over the same period.

Many of New York's sewage and wastewater facilities are past their design lives; 30 percent of the sewer pipes across the state were installed just after World War II and a quarter of wastewater treatment plants are more than 30 years old.

More than 200 state municipalities are facing federal Clean Water Act violations because of sewage overflows and other problems often related to aging infrastructure.

Meanwhile, federal assistance has plummeted. In 1987, the federal government provided $2.4 billion in loans to states for wastewater infrastructure projects. By 2008, that support plunged to $687 million.
In New York, federal assistance fell from $227 million in 1991 to $75.1 million in 2007.

A recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report stated that funding for the loan program is set to end in 2011. Earlier this year, Governor Paterson and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote to U.S. Senate and House leaders to urge them to continue support of the loan fund.

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.