Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Congressman John Hall (D-NY) secured a preliminary $1,000,000 in appropriations funding for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of the FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.

The money would be used for design and construction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure, resource protection or development projects for the New York State watershed system. This action was a preliminary step in a long process. The bill will now be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee, and then the full House. The Senate is also working on its version of the bill.

“Protecting our water supply is of the highest priority and investing in this New York State requested project is a strong step towards making sure our residents have clean water for themselves and their families for the future. While this is only the beginning of the Appropriations process, I am pleased my efforts to obtain funding for this important program were included in this measure. I will continue working with my colleagues to ensure this funding is preserved as the bill moves through the legislative process,” said Rep. Engel.

These federal funds will be used by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to implement the New York City Watershed Agreement and help the state avoid the need for a costly drinking water filtration plant.

Rep. Hall said, “Clean water is one of our most valuable resources and protecting this water supply will also create jobs. Congressman Engel and I still have more work to do to get this funding signed into law, but I am proud that we have received preliminary approval. We will keep working to help support this important project and help save local taxpayers money.”

Gov. Paterson said, "Thanks to Congressman Engel and Congressman Hall, we will have the funding we need to ensure we can both protect and improve upon our water infrastructure. I applaud their commitment to clean water and thank them for their work to protect our water resources."