(Washington, DC, May 23, 2005) — Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2005 Interior Appropriations bill which passed the House last Thursday, which included an additional $4.1 million to continue the work on Federally mandated wastewater infrastructure projects.  The funds will cover part of the cost of constructing two new wastewater treatment plants in the Territory.

“I want to again 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 by February 2006.

“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.