Ohio EPA Announces 2018 Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Program Management Plan

Ohio EPA has finalized the 2018 Program Management Plan for the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF). The fund provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the quality of Ohio's rivers, streams, lakes and other water bodies.

Since 2011, Ohio has invested more than $3.7B in key infrastructure and other projects through the WPCLF to improve water quality statewide. For this coming year, Ohio EPA received project nominations which total more than $1.7B, and will make loan funds available to all applicants that meet program requirements. Additionally, up to $29.8M will be available in 2018 for principal forgiveness (the portion of a loan that a borrower does not have to repay).

Other highlights of the proposed program for 2018 include:

• as a part of the ongoing effort to manage harmful algal blooms, Ohio EPA is offering an additional $50M (interest-free) for nutrient reduction projects that include equipment and facilities to reduce phosphorus and other pollutants that contribute to blooms;
• the Agency is offering an additional $50M (interest-free) to promote regional approaches to managing wastewater infrastructure; and
• Ohio EPA is allocating $15M to fund projects under the Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program in which borrowers divert a portion of a loan’s estimated interest payment toward projects that help counter the loss of ecological function and biological diversity of Ohio’s water resources.

Except for planning, design and nutrient reduction loans, all projects eligible to receive 2018 funding must have been nominated by Aug. 31, 2017. The primary sources of WPCLF assistance are proceeds from bond issues, available loan repayments and federal capitalization grants. Ohio EPA may issue revenue bonds to help in meeting the coming year’s funding requests.

Copies of the 2018 program management plan are available online (http://epa.ohio.gov/defa/ofa.aspx#169544612-rulesdocuments)

About The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.