Shapiro-Davis Administration Announce Infrastructure Investments Are Making Communities More Resilient, Making Air and Water Cleaner

Davis Joined PENNVEST and Capital Region Water to Highlight Green Stormwater Infrastructure Investments in Harrisburg

HARRISBURG – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis stopped by the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg today to see how investments by Capital Region Water and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) will help keep the Susquehanna River clean and ensure the stormwater system can handle severe storms, as climate change makes those storms more frequent.

“Places like Harrisburg and my hometown of McKeesport have helped build and shape America, but they are now paying a price for their industrial past,” said Davis. “In addition, our children and grandchildren will be dealing with the impacts of climate change for their entire lives. That’s why it’s important, as we see billions in new investments that will make our air and water cleaner and make our communities more resilient and safer from the threat of climate change, that those investments go to communities like McKeesport and Harrisburg, which have been historically underserved or overburdened by pollution.”

PENNVEST funding for projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, including but not limited to, Growing Greener and Marcellus Legacy funds, and federal funds under the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, as well as federal grants to PENNVEST from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs and recycled loan repayments from all of these sources as well as previous PENNVEST funding awards.

This Capital Region Water stormwater project is funded through PENNVEST with the federal Clean Water State Revolving Funds as a programmatic financing award. The Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg project is phase four of the overall stormwater infrastructure project, which is being done to comply with a federal consent decree to reduce combined sewer overflows.  PENNVEST provided $13 million in low-interest loan funds to help fund the project, which has a total project cost of $17.5 million.

“This Capital Region Water project is a perfect example of how PENNVEST funding is being used to ensure clean, safe water for Pennsylvanians,” said Tesra Schlupp, PENNVEST regional project specialist. “PENNVEST is pleased to work with Capital Region Water for the betterment of Pennsylvania waters, the improvement of our lives and those of our children.”

“Managing stormwater is one of our biggest challenges at Capital Region Water as old and aging infrastructure is often unable to convey for treatment the volume of water that collects during intense rain events,” said Marc Kurowski, board chairperson at Capital Region Water. “While we remain committed to implementing just and equitable projects to address the challenge, the solution requires a collaborative approach, and this site is an excellent example of that collaboration in action.”

Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act) and the American Rescue Plan, federal agencies are making historic levels of investment to advance environmental justice.

Today’s event echoes the Biden Administration’s Justice40 initiative, which has set a goal of ensuring 40 percent of the benefits from federal investments in particular categories go to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution. The types of investments include climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure.

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