Financing for Environmental Compliance

U.S. EPA Office of Compliance

A step-by-step guide to help communities finance

environmental infrastructure

Widespread Environmental Infrastructure Needs

• 2002 EPA Gap Analysis - Water and wastewater systems may face a spending gap of more than $300 billion over the next twenty years to make necessary improvements

• Communities will need to spend additional funds to maintain and upgrade air and waste municipal infrastructure

Clear Demand For Financial Planning Assistance

• Financial planning issues are usually a part of environmental civil judicial cases

• DOJ, EPA regions, state partners and communities are requesting financial planning assistance

Goals

• Help communities remain in or return to environmental compliance

• Improve public health by helping communities create sound financing plans to pay for environmental infrastructure

General Concept

• Create an environmental infrastructure financial planning website for municipalities and tribes funding major capital improvements

• Direct users to EPA and non-EPA financial and technical resources with specific resources for small municipalities and tribes

Main Homepage

Main Steps Page

Example: Municipal Power Plant Wants Information about Expanding

• City officials are considering adding additional infrastructure

• Seeking information about rate setting and financial risk

• Click on Air Tools and Resources• Click on Financial Assistance• Find link to Environmental Finance Center

Network

Example: Municipal Energy Plant Wants Information about Tax Implications

Example: Tribal Community Wants Technical Advice to Construct a Landfill

• Tribal community wants information about landfill liners

• Also seeks information about how other similarly sized communities resolved waste issues

• Click on Waste Tools and Resources• Click on Tribal• Find links to EPA and IHS technical

assistance

Example: Tribal Community Needs Technical Advice to Construct a Landfill

Example: Community Wants to Improve a Drinking Water System

• Community is low on the State Revolving Fund funding list

• Seeks funding sources starting with grants• Going through the eight step financial

planning process• Click on Step Seven, Financial Options• Click on Grants• Find link to water grant resources

Example: Community Wants to Improve a Drinking Water System

Create and Communicate the Financing Plan

Next Steps

• The Web site can be found at:

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/assistance/financing

• Will continue to make changes to the site as new information becomes available

Contacts

Cassandra Rice1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NWMC 2224AWashington, DC 20460202-564-4057rice.cassandra@epa.gov

Tom Ripp1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NWMC 2224AWashington, DC 20460202-564-7003ripp.tom@epa.gov