Kathy Shandling is a MaximsNews contributor.

UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 18 March 2009 -- Since assuming the presidency on January 20^th, the Obama administration has been working at a rapid clip to address the ongoing economic challenges facing the US.  In less than four weeks, the president has signed into law the massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which allocates US$787.2 billion to stimulate the economy.  For some players within the water/wastewater infrastructure sector, there was expressed disappointment that the bill had only allocated US$18.8 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments. (The SRF programs specifically received US$6.0 billion). Nevertheless, the overall general infrastructure sector (water, transportation, power) received close to 25% of the ARRA funds that were allocated to spending initiatives (versus tax cuts).

And additional spending programs for infrastructure continue to pour out of the administration and Congress. 

Just two weeks after ARRA became law, the infrastructure committee in the House has approved an ambitious water and sewer bill that will add more than US$16.0 billion to the dollars already set aside by the stimulus plan.  The Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 combines five water bills that had been approved last year in the House but stalled in the Senate.  Specifically, the Act will authorize another US$13.8 billion of federal grants for the clean water state revolving funds. And the Act will authorize grants of US$250 million over the next five years for projects that rely on alternate water sources as well as US$1.8 billion over the same time span for projects focused on controlling sewer overflows.  There is also US$750 million for the Great Lakes states to clean up pollution in the lakes.

Congress has also recently passed a massive US$410.0 billion omnibus spending bill that addresses a variety of spending needs for the remainder of the current ‘09 fiscal year. It has now been signed by the president. The bill essentially wraps nine spending bills together in order to continue to fund the annual operating budgets of almost every Cabinet department.

While the omnibus spending bill is loaded with thousands of earmarks, it does contain added funding for the water/wastewater sector. Specifically, the SRF program will be awarded another US$1.5 billion. The US Army Corps of Engineers is slated to receive US$5.4 billion for navigation infrastructure, flood protection efforts, and water resource management. Roughly US$154.0 million has been set aside to protect great water bodies such as the Great Lakes Region and the Chesapeake Bay. The Bureau of Reclamation is to receive another US$1.1 billion for dams, water treatment and conservation, and rural water projects.  Additional funds to the tune of US$3.7 billion will be channeled through the Department of Agriculture for rural development and conservation programs such as select water projects in rural communities and upgrading aging flood control dams. This includes US$39.0 million to develop and expand the use of recycled water. And US$40.0 million has been allocated to research new ways of generating power from flowing water.

Finally, President Obama has made it no secret that his priorities outside the economic crisis include a diligent focus on education, healthcare, and energy. Nevertheless, his newly released FY2010 budget proposal includes US$5.1 billion for the US Army Corps of Engineers’ infrastructure projects, an unprecedented US$3.9 billion for the State Revolving Fund programs, and US$475.0 million for the Great Lakes restoration initiative.

What can the rest of the world learn from the US’s ongoing government spending initiatives that are focused on infrastructure?  According to some notable economists quoted in the New York Times recently, countries around the world need to increase financial commitments to their respective national economic stimulus plans in order to more effectively mobilize worldwide and regional economic improvement. The US has currently one of the largest economic stimulus plans in place versus those of other OECD countries. And countries need to allocate more of their investment resources to infrastructure projects that can simultaneously contribute to improved job creation while establishing the ongoing foundations for sustainable development. 

 

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