RESOLUTION

ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL UIC PROGRAM

WHEREAS, the Safe Drinking Water Act mandates the development of an underground injection control (UIC) program for each state; and

WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has the statutory responsibility for implementation of the UIC provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act; and

WHEREAS, the USEPA has approved State UIC programs and granted primacy to various state agencies; and

WHEREAS, the program was originally authorized at $19.5 million, but has been funded at not more than $10.5 million for many years, without recognizing the expanding scope of these federally mandated UIC programs and the increased cost of program management, and

WHEREAS, the national UIC program effectiveness and success as a pollution prevention program is being eroded due to a decreasing amount of available funding, and it is no longer capable of meeting its statutory and regulatory requirements.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Ground Water Protection Council Board of Director’s hereby requests that the Administrator of the USEPA and the Assistant Administrator for Water request and proactively support an appropriation of at least $19.5 million for State UIC Grants in the USEPA’s FY 1999 Budget Request.

Attest: March 4, 1997

____________________

Michel J. Paque

Secretary