News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HERSETH SANDLIN ANNOUNCES WATER SOURCE PROTECTION FUNDING
FOR RAPID CITY

June 28, 2007, Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin today announced funding passed by the House for the protection of Rapid City’s water supply. The House Interior Appropriations bill included Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s request for a $500,000 State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) designated for Rapid City’s effort to protect its water resources from septic and sewer contamination.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin, “Water is the most essential resource for the continued growth and development of western South Dakota. This grant is a smart investment in the future of the region, including Rapid City, Rapid Valley and Ellsworth Air Force Base.”

The community of Rapid City has experienced significant growth in recent years. Many of the growing residential areas are situated overlapping the Madison Aquifer, the primary drinking water source for Rapid City, Rapid Valley, and the Ellsworth Air Force Base. The growth in residential areas has also been accompanied by a growth in the number of septic tanks over the aquifer, greatly increasing the potential for the contamination of a critical water resource. Accordingly, Rapid City has begun developing a source water protection initiative to preserve the aquifer by eliminating septic tanks in the developing areas and expanding the city’s sanitary sewer collection system. The $500,000 STAG grant will jumpstart this effort.

The appropriation will now be reconciled with similar funding passed in the Senate and sent to the president for approval.

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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Herseth Sandlin was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.