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Congressman Tim Bishop (D-1st)is joined by Peter Scully, NY DEC Region 1 Administrator(l), and David Nyce, Mayor, Village of Greenport (r), for the groundbreaking of the Village’s new water treatment facility, made possible by federal Recovery Act funds.

Greenport — Congressman Tim Bishop was joined by Greenport Mayor David Nyce, local and state officials and businesses leaders for the groundbreaking of the Village's new water treatment facility on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

The Village of Greenport received nearly $4 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a new water treatment facility. The project was was among the first round of grants awarded through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.

"Rebuilding our infrastructure, including clean water and wastewater treatment projects, will create jobs in the short term and enable sustainable economic growth in the long term," Congressman Bishop, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, commented at the groundbreaking. "I will continue working to increase funding for sewage and wastewater management because these are major concerns for residents throughout Suffolk County. Today we are seeing how Recovery Act funds are creating jobs, keeping down local property taxes and promoting economic growth in the Village of Greenport."

The project is designed to completely rebuild the treatment facility in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits established by the Long Island Sound study. Of the roughly $4 million in funding, $780,000 qualifies as a "hardship loan," which is issued only to small communities in New York State with a median income below a certain threshold. These funds are being loaned to the Village of Greenport at zero interest and constitute the stimulus funding for the project. The remaining $3.11 million is being awarded as principal forgiveness.

"We are absolutely thrilled about the project," Greenport Village Mayor David Nyce announced. "This is a major undertaking in a very small village. We had some concerns at the beginning, but we were able to utilize the DEC, EFC (New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation), and different grant opportunities. Congressman Bishop has been great as always, helping shepherd us through the project."

As part of the recovery and stimulus programs projects such as the water treatment facility are geared to bolster local economies as well as remedy infrastructure needs. "The Village of Greenport demonstrates that sustainable municipal practices are not only beneficial to the conservation of our natural resources, but also have a positive, measurable impact on economic growth," NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation President and C.E.O. Matthew J. Driscoll said. “This project will protect the waters of the Long Island Sound, while reducing maintenance and energy costs for taxpayers and creating jobs for Suffolk County residents. As a result of Governor Paterson and the Congressional Delegation's tremendous support of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, we are able to break ground on this innovative project."