Durbin Announces Nearly $7 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Illinois Environmental Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Region 5 have awarded $6,962,635 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to three environmental programs in Illinois.
“Today’s funding will improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink while creating jobs across Illinois,” said Durbin. “It is not only good for our bodily health, but also the health of our state’s economy.”
The following Illinois communities and agencies will receive funding:
• City of Chicago: $1,000,000 in funding for projects to cut emissions and fuel usage from the city’s diesel fleet. These clean diesel projects will create or retain roughly 23 jobs while protecting Chicago’s air quality by reducing harmful diesel emissions by 313 tons per year.
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency: $4,172,335 in funding to clean up diesel vehicles and equipment in the state. These clean diesel projects will create 123 jobs while protecting Illinois’ air quality by involving 675 eligible diesel vehicles or engines.
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency: $1,790,300 in funding for water quality management planning to determine the nature, extent, and causes of water pollution problems, and to develop plans to solve those problems.