SAIPAN — The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality’s Division of Environmental Quality is taking public comments on updated scoring criteria that will help determine which drinking water and wastewater projects rise to the top for potential federal funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Fund programs.
The updated Project Priority List scoring criteria is meant to guide how eligible infrastructure projects are prioritized under EPA Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants and related SRF programs, with the scoring designed to weigh factors such as public health protection, regulatory compliance, system sustainability and reliability, water quality, environmental protection, cost effectiveness, and project readiness.
The public comment period was initially set to end January 19, but DEQ extended the deadline to Thursday, February 12 to give the community more time to review and submit feedback before the criteria are sent to EPA Region 9 for final approval.
The updated criteria are being revised in line with the Safe Drinking Water Act and EPA guidance, and must go through public review as part of the process.
Written comments must be received by February 12 and can be submitted by email to deq.sdw@becq.gov.mp and McManus.Hallie@epa.gov, or delivered in person to the BECQ-DEQ office on Middle Road in Gualo Rai.
Public invited to weigh in on updated DEQ scoring rules for EPA water, wastewater funding list
SAIPAN — The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality’s Division of Environmental Quality is taking public comments on updated scoring criteria that will help determine which drinking water and wastewater projects rise to the top for potential federal funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Fund programs.
The updated Project Priority List scoring criteria is meant to guide how eligible infrastructure projects are prioritized under EPA Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants and related SRF programs, with the scoring designed to weigh factors such as public health protection, regulatory compliance, system sustainability and reliability, water quality, environmental protection, cost effectiveness, and project readiness.
The public comment period was initially set to end January 19, but DEQ extended the deadline to Thursday, February 12 to give the community more time to review and submit feedback before the criteria are sent to EPA Region 9 for final approval.
The updated criteria are being revised in line with the Safe Drinking Water Act and EPA guidance, and must go through public review as part of the process.
Written comments must be received by February 12 and can be submitted by email to deq.sdw@becq.gov.mp and McManus.Hallie@epa.gov, or delivered in person to the BECQ-DEQ office on Middle Road in Gualo Rai.