WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded the enactment of legislation providing more than $6 million in federal funding for public lands improvements in Ohio. The funding, which was secured by Brown, was included in the 2010 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which was signed into law by Pres. Obama on Friday.

"These funds will ensure that Ohio's parks and water infrastructure are preserved and well-maintained," Brown said. "It is critical that we protect our natural resources for both current and future generations of Ohioans."

The list of projects that would receive funds can be found below.

National
$3,643,777,000 for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
These funds will be used for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements. A portion of these funds will be used by the States to provide forgiveness of principal, negative interest loans or grants, or any combination of these. The EPA estimates Ohio has nearly $30 billion in water infrastructure needs. Priority will be given for additional subsidies should be given to projects in communities that could not otherwise afford such projects and directs the Agency and the States to track how these subsidies are used and by what types of communities.

Statewide
$475,000,000 for Great Lakes Clean-up and Restoration
This funding will be used to accelerate the restoration of Lake Erie. Specifically, the funds will provide for an inter-agency initiative to address problems such as invasive species, non-point source pollution and contaminated sediment. Senator Brown recently joined Senator Voinovich (R-OH) and senators from Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin, in signing a letter urging the Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations committee leadership to include these funds.

Akron
$4,000,000 for Land Acquisition- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
This funding will be used to acquire more than 600 acres for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Summit County. This land, contiguous with the park is critical for the preservation of forest habitat and stream protection. The funds were secured by Sens. Brown and Voinovich and Reps. LaTourette, Ryan and Sutton.

"Blossom Music Center is cherished by so many Ohioans and is an important driver of economic development," Sen. Brown said of the project. "These funds will help preserve the land surrounding Blossom. The addition of this land will further the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's status as a premier site for conservation."

Fremont
$500,000 for Combined Sewer Overflow Elimination- City of Fremont
This funding will support the elimination of combined sewer overflow to the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers. These funds were secured by Brown and Voinovich.

Cincinnati
$1,200,000 for Organics Detection System- Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
This funding will be used to upgrade 16 Organics Detection System units to provide real-time monitoring of chemical pollutants in the Ohio River. The information these units provide will help water utility companies respond with appropriate treatments, improving detection capabilities and decreasing response time. These funds were secured by Brown and Sen. Byrd.


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