EMERGENCY FUNDING In May of 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed regarding coordination between EPA and FEMA. The MOU established a framework for the EPA funded State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs to assist and collaborate with FEMA disaster assistance grant programs. The Iowa SRF Program will work with communities on a case-by-case basis to provide assistance addressing public health threats related to drinking water and wastewater resulting from a disaster. Some of the ways the SRF can help following a disaster include: • Use SRF loans as match for FEMA grants. FEMA funds will generally pay for 75% for the replacement costs for public water and wastewater systems. The SRF can be used for the required 25% match. • Use SRF funds as short-term loans to be repaid with FEMA grants. There may be times when a public facility has been approved for a FEMA grant but there is a delay in receiving the funds. In those situations, when all program requirements are met, an SRF loan could be used to finance the repairs and then be repaid with FEMA money. Emergency loans meeting these conditions may be made and then shown on the next quarterly IUP update. HIGHLIGHTS AND CHANGES In the past year, many exciting opportunities have developed to advance environmental equivalency in the water sector through increased investment in water and wastewater infrastructure. Iowa is expanding and revising the SRF Program, as needed, to adapt to and take advantage of these new opportunities. Highlighted below are some of the changes Iowa is incorporating into this year’s Intended Use Plans. Plans for implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL ) funding, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , are not covered in this annual release of the Intended Use Plan but will be implemented through separate annexes (BIL Annexes) to the DWSRF and CWSRF Intended Use Plans. The most current information available will also be posted at https://www.iowasrf.com/infrastructure-bill-funding- opportunities/. The BIL introduced a new requirement to federally funded infrastructure programs which expands domestic procurement requirements beyond iron and steel to include construction materials and manufactured goods. This requirement is referred to as Build America, Buy American (BABA) . Some SRF funded projects may be subject to the requirements of BABA, including projects that co-fund with other federal programs such as Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant or USDA Rural Development loans. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not yet released implementation procedures on BABA; further guidance on BABA will be implemented in future quarterly updates to the CWSRF and DWSRF Intended Use Plans. The most current information available will also be posted at https://www.iowasrf.com/infrastructure-bill-funding- opportunities/. The Water Resources Restoration Sponsored Project Program is temporarily not accepting applications during SFY 2023 (September 2022 and March 2023 application rounds). The Disadvantaged Community (DAC) definition (DWSRF Program) and the Affordability Criteria (CWSRF Program) are under review and will be revised through public review and comment. The SRF Programs intend to implement the DAC definition and affordability criteria the BIL Annexes to the DWSRF and CWSRF Intended Use Plans, respectively. The goal of this revision is to expand environmental equality and ensure Iowa’s SRF Programs are reaching communities most in need of assistance. The new definitions will be used to determine an applicant’s eligibility to receive loan forgiveness from the base DWSRF and CWSRF Loan Programs as well as BIL Loan funds. The percent of loan forgiveness offered to each eligible project will also be determined through these revised criteria. See BIL Annex A to the DWSRF IUP and CWSRF IUP, respectively. Beginning in SFY 2023, loan initiation fees will not be assessed on loans to Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) receiving loan forgiveness. For the first time in the Program’s history, the U.S. EPA is allowing states to utilize funding from the Cap Grant to provide Technical Assistance to borrowers. EPA is also preparing Technical Assistance contracts to support states and borrowers with accessing SRF Program funds from the BIL. Future quarterly updates to the CWSRF IUPs will describe how Iowa intends to utilize these funds and the technical assistance that will be available to our borrowers. See page 19. Beginning in SFY 2023, borrowers will be asked to identify their Municipal Advisor for the project as part of the
IOWA SRF INTENDED USE PLANS 2023 - Overview | Page 5
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