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SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — California Recovery Task Force Director Rick Rice yesterday (Sept. 20) issued the following statement after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the City of Coachella a $5 million loan under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) to improve its wastewater system infrastructure.

“The funding awarded Coachella will help an important California community ensure its drinking water is safe and its environment is protected. This kind of funding is critical for infrastructure improvement and job growth in our rural communities, and I congratulate Coachella on obtaining this loan award.”

The USDA announcement included $445.3 million for 89 community projects nationwide to protect public health and the environment by improving water quality and public sanitation services. To date, the USDA has announced $3.26 billion in Recovery Act funds for 884 water and environmental projects across the nation. For more information on today’s awards, visit www.usda.gov/recovery.

Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama’s administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.