(Washington, DC, June 22, 2004)—Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives passed $4 million for two critically important elements of the court-ordered improvements to the Virgin Islands wastewater system.  The funding measure was included in the Fiscal Year 2005 Interior Appropriations bill which passed the House last Friday.

“I want to thank the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, in particular Chairman Charles Taylor and Ranking Democrat Norm Dicks, for their continued support of the Territory as we endeavor to construct two new wastewater treatment plants at a total cost of approximately $50 million,” Christensen said.  “I also want to thank the Bush Administration and the Department of Interior for including the funding in their FY 2005 budget request on which the subcommittee’s action was based.”
 
The territory is required to enforce requirements of the Clean Water Act by an Amended Consent Decree that resulted from a lawsuit brought by the federal government. The agreement requires the Government of the Virgin Islands to arrange for the design, construction, and operation of two wastewater treatment facilities that would be upgrades of, or replacements for, the existing Anguilla wastewater treatment plant on St. Croix and the Charlotte Amalie wastewater treatment plant on St. Thomas no later than February 28, 2006 and February 28, 2007 respectively.

“Governor Turnbull and his Washington Counsel’s office are also to be commended for their work and assistance in ensuring that everything was in place to enable us to receive the funding,” Christensen said.