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President’s Message
No Summer Vacation for UCANE and Its Members
With the unofficial kickoff to summer, Memorial Day, behind us, many folks are now planning their summer vacations. Once the school year ends, locations from the Cape to the Berkshires, from Newport to northern Maine will see families and vacationers enjoying all the beauty that New England has to offer. By contrast, UCANE members will be hard at work on their jobsites across the region. UCANE continues to work to assure that these critical projects are put out to bid and completed to ensure these destinations, and all of our cities and towns, have access to the clean water that is crucial to the health and economic growth of our communities.
We also continue to work with national, state, and local officials to find ways to address the ongoing supply chain and price escalabe a multi-year impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and stimulus funds (ARPA). These final lists can be found beginning on page 23 and are also posted tion issues. While this is a worldwide problem with no “silver bullet” solution, we are promoting flexibility and communication with our partners, while advocating for short-term regulatory and legislative relief to lessen the impact of these issues.
On a positive note, MassDEP’s Final 2022 Intended Use Plan has come out and is included in this month’s issue of our magazine. These documents list the borrowers and amounts that have been approved for construction projects to be financed through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). Highlights of the final list include $898 million for 67 new Clean Water construction projects and $319 million being offered to finance 43 new Drinking Water construction projects. These final numbers represent a significant increase over last year (2021) when $697 million was authorized for 67 new projects. In 2022, over $1.2 BILLION has been authorized for 110 new projects.
Along with the additional project authorizations, there is a significant increase in the funding available for 90 of the new projects to qualify for principal forgiveness, and 28 municipalities qualify for a reduced borrowing rate of 1.5% on the loan. UCANE has strongly advocated for these and other incentives for municipalities so that they will apply for, and approve these critical projects. These increases are just the first in what will on our website. In addition to promoting the work, we are also working with other construction associations and stakeholders to address workforce development. We continue to work with our elected officials, educators, and partners to find ways to recruit and retain the next generation of diverse workers for our industry, and we will continue to prioritize this effort. Lastly, speaking of the next generation, I want to congratulate the 12 recipients of UCANE’s 2022 Scholarship Program. Each year I am amazed at the talent and accomplishments of our recipients, and this year was no exception. It is an honor for me to be able to present two of the scholarships in memory of my father, Richard McCourt, and my grandfather, Frank McCourt.
I want to thank everyone who attended our Scholarship Dinner on May 12 at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, and on behalf of the UCANE Board of Directors, I also want to sincerely thank all our members who have supported this program over the last 44 years. I want to wish our recipients, and all the students who submitted applications, continued success in their college careers and future endeavors. I also wish everyone a safe, healthy,
and busy summer! n
P.A. Landers, Inc.
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