Helena-West Helena receives $3.5M loan
The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission this month approved about $4 million in loans, about $1.4 million in loans to be immediately forgiven and about $285,000 in grants to water and wastewater utilities in Arkansas.
Another 16 utilities received 10-year loans to replace water meters.
The commission also approved a $43 million loan to Central Arkansas Water in September, previously reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The biggest chunk of money -- $3.5 million -- will go in the form of a loan to Helena-West Helena for energy efficiency improvements and the replacement of all customer water meters. The utility serves 4,591 customers.
The city of Fairfield Bay and the Frenchport Water Association in Ouachita County received the other two loans, of $250,805 and $206,000, respectively. Each entity has up to 10 years to pay off its loan at 2.75 percent interest rates. Fairfield Bay's loan will go toward emergency repairs related to flooding, and the Frenchport Water Association will do maintenance and repairs.
Omaha and Wright-Pastoria Water Association in Jefferson County will receive loans of $850,000 and $500,000, respectively, with principal forgiveness. Omaha will use the money to improve its drinking water system, and the Wright-Pastoria Water Association will use its funds to replace water lines to prevent water loss.
United Water Associated in Monroe County received a $154,500 grant to replace a failing water storage tank in its wastewater system. Fountain Hill in Ashley County will receive a grant of $128,750 to improve its wastewater facilities.
Ten utilities -- Arkadelphia, Clinton, Crossett, Greenbrier, Nashville Rural Water PA, Tumbling Shoals PWA, Vilonia Waterworks Association, Washington Water Authority, Watson Chapel Water Associated and Wooster -- received 10-year loans totaling about $11.1 million at a 0.5 percent interest rate to replace water meters.
Six utilities -- Cotter, Milltown Washburn PWA, The Mountain Top PWA, Palestine, Success and Watalula Water Users Association -- received more than $600,000 in 10-year loans with waived fees to replace water and wastewater meters.
The commission also approved de-obligating $111,535 in loans to Pulaski County government for now-completed energy efficiency projects and $3,800.43 from Bradley for finished water system improvements.
Ozone regulations soon to be updated
The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission has approved state environmental regulators' petition to change its ozone regulations to adopt a federal ozone standard change made in 2015.
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality petitioned the commission, which is its appellate and rule-making body, to start the rule-making process to include the stricter ozone standard in the state's air regulations.
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lowered its limit for acceptable ozone levels from 75 parts of ozone per billion parts of air to 70 parts of ozone per billion parts of air.
At the commission's monthly meeting Friday, department air division attorney Will Montgomery said the department had three years to incorporate the update and urged the commission to approve starting the change process so the state could meet that deadline.
Each locale's ozone level is measured by taking the fourth-highest daily ozone level each year for three years and averaging that number. Ozone readings were higher this summer but Arkansas has remained in compliance with the new standard since it was implemented.
Ground-level ozone is formed when car exhaust and industrial emission react to high temperatures, and it can cause respiratory problems.
Arkansas receives conservation grant
Arkansas has received nearly $600,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior for wildlife conservation projects, according to a department news release.
Nationwide, the Interior Department gave more than $50 million to states as a part of the State Wildlife Grant program, according to the announcement.
The funds support states' efforts to protect non-game fish and wildlife, the Interior Department noted.
Arkansas received $589,676 in grants that went to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Metro on 10/01/2018