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FL-4. WASTEWATER 'rR1'AV'-1FN'i to i,vt ' d I <br />The league supports the creatiou of a federal loan program to assist in <br />the financing; of wastewater treatment projects, but only as a supplement to the <br />existing grant program and not as a replacement program. <br />Federal grants should be made to the states through water quality block <br />grants, with the focus on achieving significant improvement of water quality. <br />Oversight by EPA should be restricted to general oversight of grant <br />administration by the State agencies responsible, such as the Minnesota <br />Polltitton Control Agency. <br />A great deal of the cus:tt, i.on it: directly attributable to <br />delays in processing; the grants ano ;evlewitig; ii;e projects. There is little <br />doubt that the administrative coots ccuI6 l,c reth:ced significantly by employing <br />block grant deliveries to the states. <br />Clean water is important to the economic and social well-being of not only <br />the State of Minnesota, but the nation as a whole. The League supports the <br />federal government's recognition of water quality as a national problem and <br />feels the establishment of national water quality standards is appropriate, <br />providing that the federal government assists in funding necessary programs. <br />Asaistance from the federal government is necessary is there is to be any <br />hope of meeting the 1988 target date for effluent standards. If federal funds <br />are not available to support the requirements and objective of the Act, <br />timetables for meeting these requirements should be postponed or the <br />requirements reduced. The League suggests that th? Environmental Protection <br />Agency's compliance policy should be modified so tnat municipal wastewater <br />treatment compliance plans ca;, }o sr:•uctured to achieve the level o.• compliance <br />that is consistent with frdtrr.J f inancia'. aesisr.ance. <br />Additionally, the League recorrmends that wastewater treatment programs be <br />modified to provide financing; to upgratae alternative environmentally sound <br />systems of on -site or community dif:posal of domestic and commercial waste in <br />cities. <br />The existing system hc;a tendeu to rely too heavily on single solution <br />approaches which mey not he appropriate or economically feasible in small <br />communities. As a result, small cities have been required to install very <br />costly central collection and treatment systems without regard to cost/benefit <br />considerations or their ability to finance the continuing operation of such <br />systems. Similarly, larger cities have been discouraged from using alternative <br />strategies where they might be appropriate. <br />FL-S. LEAD -CONTAMINATED SOIL <br />The league of Minnesota Cities urges Congress to take action to eliminate <br />health problems caused by lead -contaminated soil and to adopt federal standards <br />for lead levels in soil as well as air quality rules to provide for the total <br />elimination of leaded gasoline for use by automobiles by the earliest Possible <br />date. <br />Cities are pre-empted by the federal government from taking action to <br />protect residents from automotive lead emisFinns since regulation of air quality <br />