From: Amy Kyle, Clackamas Co. Water Environment Services (WES), 503 742-4561

akyle@co.clackamas.or.us

 7-16--2009

Media and Interested Parties

Clackamas County awarded $4 million to fund water quality improvement project

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has announced that Clackamas County Service District No. 1 (CCSD #1) is one of 13 programs in the state that will receive a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment of Act of 2009.  CWSRF funds support water quality improvement projects in Oregon . A total of 160 projects were submitted for consideration and the District's project was ranked third overall.

“This is an opportunity for the county to create economic stimulus in our community,” said Commissioner Charlotte Lehan. “By moving this project forward we will are creating jobs with local businesses and contractors in this difficult economy.”

The loan will help finance the North Clackamas Revitalization Area (NCRA) project to construct a sanitary sewer collection system to serve approximately 970 properties within CCSD#1's service area.  NCRA is an urban renewal district that covers about 1,000 acres of mixed-use community in north Clackamas County between the city of Milwaukie, the Multnomah County line and the Clackamas Town Center area. The area is currently served by on-site wastewater disposal systems such as cesspools and septic tanks.

“This was an opportunity to tap stimulus funds to meet a pressing local need,” said Clackamas County Commissioner Bob Austin.

Clackamas County has been working to make sewers in the NCRA as affordable as possible with financing options, credits, and grants.  The terms of the CWSRF loan will reduce the overall cost of the project, directly benefitting the property owners to be served since they will receive property assessments based on final costs after the project is completed in late 2012.

The $4 million CWSRF loan will include $2 million in principal forgiveness, with the balance of the loan to be repaid at zero percent interest.  Interest savings on the loan will amount to $2.1 million over the 20-year loan period.

Construction on Phase 1 of the project is scheduled to begin in late September and will potentially employ 15-20 people either directly, or through contractors, for a year.

For more information please contact Kathy Frasier at 503-742-4566, visit www.RiverHealth.org or contact WES Community Relations at 503-742-4561.