Section 369.110  Purpose

a)         The Water Quality Act of 1987 (the 1987 Amendments) that amended the federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 USC 1251 et seq.) sets forth a schedule and mechanism for the transition from the federal level to the state and local level for responsibility of funding wastewater treatment facilities.  Title VI of the 1987 Amendments creates a new authority that authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to make grants to states to capitalize state water pollution control revolving funds. Title VI also establishes specific requirements for states for the development and operation of the state loan programs, some of which must be assumed by the local government unit as the recipient of a loan.

b)         Part 365 sets forth procedures to be used by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to operate the Water Pollution Control Loan Program (WPCLP), including the issuance of loans for the construction of wastewater treatment works as authorized by P.A. 85-1135, effective September 1, 1988 and amended by P.A. 90-121, effective July 17, 1997.

c)         The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides a source of capitalization grants to the states to provide loans, as well as additional subsidization including forgiveness of principal, negative interest loans, and grants to eligible applicants for the construction of wastewater facilities. This Part 369 sets out procedures the Agency will use to provide financial assistance from the ARRA, which shall be administered through the WPCLP.