Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Funding Framework
October 21, 1996
State Environmental Agency Directors
I am pleased to forward the final SRF Funding Framework -- Policy and
Guidance document to you. The Framework is the product of a year-long dialogue between
EPA and its State partners to clarify the possible uses of SRF funds. The document also provides
States with a tool to establish relative priorities to guide the use of SRF funds to correct water
quality problems on a statewide or watershed basis. The Framework builds upon the current SRF
program, broadens the participation of nonpoint source and estuary constituent groups, and
encourages States to establish integrated water quality priorities.
The Framework is designed to help States set priorities and demonstrate the relative
importance of funded water quality projects to the public. Further, the process described in this
document will help States select certain "non-traditional" projects where the connection to water
quality improvements is critical, but more difficult to demonstrate. The Framework establishes
voluntary guidelines for funding traditional SRF projects (where the primary purpose is water
quality) and sets national policy for States that wish to make use of their SRF to fund innovative
non-traditional projects.
A series of workshops is scheduled for early 1997 to assist States in developing integrated
priority setting systems and linking their SRF programs and watershed planning efforts. These
workshops will be oriented toward State officials working on nonpoint source, estuary, wetlands,
watershed, and SRF programs and will seek to begin the process of information sharing at the
State level on these important issues. I wish to thank the many State and EPA participants and
reviewers for their helpful input and comments which allowed us to more clearly articulate the
purpose of this document.
| Sincerely, |
| /s/ |
| Robert Perciasepe |
| Assistant Administrator |
| |
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