News Releases from Region 02

EPA Provides Environmental Programs in Puerto Rico with More than One Million Dollars to Improve Water Quality

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board a Performance Partnership grant of more than one million dollars to administer water quality programs.

“EPA has been working hand in hand with Puerto Rico officials in light of the fiscal challenges that the island is confronting,” said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Catherine McCabe. “EPA has no more basic responsibility than to help partners secure and protect our nation’s water. This grant provides urgently needed help for Puerto Rico to conduct the day-to-day work necessary to run its water programs.”

“These funds granted by the Environmental Protection Agency will allow us to continue work in important areas such as water quality monitoring.  In addition, it provides us with assistance in other areas such as certifications and planning. We are working in partnership with federal agencies to fulfill our commitment of protecting the environment,” said Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board President Tania Vázquez Rivera.

The funds will support the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board’s operation of its continuing environmental programs while giving it greater flexibility to address its highest environmental priorities, improve environmental performance and strengthen its partnership with EPA.  This agreement funds statewide programs to protect and improve water quality. When the water in our rivers, lakes, and oceans become polluted, it can endanger wildlife, make our drinking water unsafe and threaten the waters in which we swim and fish. EPA supports these efforts under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.

Performance Partnership grants are important tools for EPA to provide financial assistance to states and tribes. These grants allow recipients to use EPA awards with greater flexibility for priority environmental problems or program needs, streamline paperwork and accounting procedures to reduce administrative costs, and try cross-program initiatives and approaches that were difficult to fund under traditional grant approaches.

For more about EPA grants: https://www.epa.gov/grants

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