U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today hosted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan in Delaware to highlight the benefits of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the First State.
“It’s a delight to host Administrator Regan in Delaware!” said Senator Carper. “When I led his confirmation process in the Senate, I was confident he would be an outstanding leader to take the mantle at EPA during such a critical time in the agency’s mission, and he’s proven that to be true. Today, we had the opportunity to see some of the immense good that our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is going to do for the First State. I’m proud to be his partner in delivering this historic investment that will improve the lives of people up and down Delaware and across the nation.”
“It was a pleasure to be in Delaware today with Senator Carper, seeing firsthand the results of his leadership to enact the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Under this historic law, EPA will be investing $5 billion to electrify the nation’s school bus fleet, and $50 billion to upgrade aging water infrastructure nationwide. Communities across The First State can thank Senator Carper for millions of dollars going to protect their health, create jobs, and lift up people that are hurting most from pollution.”
Senator Carper and Administrator Regan were joined by Senator Chris Coons and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) for the day’s events.
“It was an honor to welcome Administrator Regan to Delaware today to highlight the critical investments that we are making in clean air and water through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Senator Coons. “These funds are making daily activities like a bus ride to school cleaner and more sustainable, all while creating the jobs of the future and better opportunities for young people in our communities.”
“I was thrilled to host Administrator Regan today with Senators Carper and Coons as we discussed and highlighted some of the issues most pressing to Delaware,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “Today was a fantastic opportunity to examine some of the incredible work already done through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while also recognizing the challenges posed to our state and nation by the climate crisis. I’m grateful for Administrator Regan’s visit to Delaware and for his continued work on behalf of our country.”
The day began at Teen Warehouse for a tour of their facilities to learn about their electric vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bus and V2G bus program, which helps local teens learn more about electric vehicle technology and develop the skills needed to fill future electric vehicle jobs. Investing in electric and clean school buses is a key area of focus for Administrator Regan and has been a priority for Senator Carper during his time in office. This event highlighted EPA’s $5 billion clean school bus program, which is authorized and funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
They then toured the City of Wilmington Renewable Energy and Biosolids Facility. The constitution of the facility was made possible by a $36 million loan through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund in 2012. Senator Carper authored language in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund and establish new EPA grant programs to provide assistance for these type of projects to help communities.
The final stop of the Wilmington tour was a visit to the New Castle County Christina River Force Main site, where Administrator Regan, Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester heard from County Executive Matt Meyer and city officials about plans to upgrade the wastewater system that serves 100,000 residents and conducts water testing to protect public health.
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