McCollum Successfully Secures $3.93 Million to Improve East Metro Water Infrastructure

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2023 conference agreement, and President Biden signed it into law. The agreement includes funding for all 15 of Rep. McCollum's requested Community Projects that will directly benefit the Fourth District.

Within the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies portion of the agreement, McCollum secured $3.93 million across two projects to improve water quality in the East Metro:

• Project: City of Woodbury East Wellfield Manifold Pipe ($3,450,000)
  This funding will be used to connect three municipal drinking water supply wells within the City of Woodbury to a single raw water line to facilitate subsequent connection to a water treatment facility addressing PFAS contamination in order to improve drinking water quality for residents.
• Project: City of Birchwood Village Sewer Lift Station Replacement ($480,000)
  This funding will be used for the replacement of the City's current sewer lift station, which is subject to corrosion due to a neighboring community's water main break that flooded and damaged the station.

"These important projects will protect the safety of the public water supply and improve water quality in the East Metro," McCollum said. "As Vice Chair of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I've worked hard to ensure that this bill makes important investments in healthy communities and clean air and water, and I'm proud to bring these dollars back to the Fourth District to make an impact here at home."

"We are grateful for the support from Congresswoman McCollum and her staff in making this a priority," said Woodbury Mayor Anne Burt. "Connecting all of our water supply wells to a new water treatment plant to address PFAS is an expensive endeavor and the city cannot do it on its own. This money will help reduce the funding gap and financial burden placed on our residents."

"What a fantastic Christmas present for our little community," said Birchwood Village Mayor Mary Wingfield. "Our lift station was flooded a few years ago. The damage it incurred is irreparable. With this new funding to help rebuild our main lift station, our residents as well as White Bear Lake will be protected for years to come."

Background:

As Vice Chair of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, Congresswoman McCollum has worked hard to secure funding for many priorities for the nation and for Minnesota. In total, the bill includes $38.9 billion in regular appropriations, an increase of $850 million above the FY 2022 enacted level. There is also an additional $1.6 billion of for wildfire preparedness and suppression activities.

The legislation:

• Creates good-paying American jobs through investments in renewable energy development, including offshore wind, and a national initiative to reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphan oil and gas wells.
• Confronts the climate crisis by expanding environmental enforcement efforts and launching a renewed focus on land and water conservation.
• Supports Native American families by investing in a strong and resilient Indian Country, including through education and health care programs, and honoring the federal government's trust and treaty responsibilities to tribal nations.
• Dramatically expands environmental justice efforts to address unacceptable pollution in communities of color.

Read Chair McCollum's full statement on final passage of the omnibus here.

The text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 is available here. A list of bill highlights is here. A full summary of the appropriations provisions in the bill is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee's commitment to transparency, information on Rep. McCollum's Community Project Funding requests is available here.

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