Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

Funding will support water and transportation infrastructure, health care services, education, and economic development

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $21 million in federal funding for 17 projects across the Inland Empire. These projects were included in the bipartisan FY 2022 appropriations package that passed the House yesterday. The President is expected to sign the bill into law next week after it passes the Senate.

“I am proud to have secured funding for projects throughout the Inland Empire to improve our water quality, upgrade transportation infrastructure, support health care services, and make our communities safer,” Senator Padilla said. “This funding will go to local governments and community organizations that are directly serving our neighborhoods. Federal dollars will support projects to modernize our transportation infrastructure and spur economic growth. We are also investing in projects that will increase California’s capacity to treat patients and deliver mental health services.”

Projects in and around the Inland Empire that will receive federal funding include:

• $5 million for Bradley Road Bridge Over Salt Creek
  This funding will support the construction of a bridge over Salt Creek in the City of Menifee to raise the roadway out of the existing floodplain for the safety and access of emergency vehicles and to improve connectivity of the surrounding communities.

• $3 million for a Water Recycling Facility and PFAS Treatment Project in Riverside
  This funding will allow the Western Municipal Water District to protect drinking water supplies in the Arlington Basin and protect environmental water quality and storm water runoff by removing harmful PFAS chemicals from wastewater.
  
  Senator Padilla has made addressing PFAS contamination a priority. Last year, he introduced the PROTECT Act to add certain PFAS chemicals to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Hazardous Air Pollutants, thereby requiring their regulation under the Clean Air Act. This would expand the number of facilities that would have to adopt technology to reduce PFAS emissions. He also introduced two bills, the Clean Water for Military Families Act and the Filthy Fifty Act, directing the Department of Defense to identify and clean up PFAS at U.S. military installations with some of the highest detections across the country.

• $2.7 million for the Coachella Valley Water District
  This funding will support the construction of a new water transmission line to bring safe drinking water to the Eastern Coachella Valley.

• $1.5 million for Upgrades to Pennsylvania Avenue in the City of Beaumont
  This funding will allow the City of Beaumont to improve traffic circulation along Pennsylvania Avenue between 1st and 6th Streets.

• $1.25 million for the City of Banning Wastewater Treatment and Groundwater Protection Project
  This funding will support the City of Banning’s wastewater treatment project to protect groundwater from sewer overflow during heavy periods of rain and overflow events.

• $1 million for the City of Yucaipa’s Wilson III Basin Project
  This funding will support the City of Yucaipa’s Wilson III Basin project to provide flood protection, improve water quality, preserve open space and habitat preservation, and provide groundwater recharge.

• $1 million for Loma Linda University Health
  This funding will support the construction of a new Federally Qualified Health Center to better serve the most vulnerable in the Coachella Valley. 

• $1 million for the San Bernardino International Airport Runway Repair Project
  This funding will support critical repair work on the main runway at San Bernardino International Airport.

• $1 million for the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library
  This funding will support the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library Second Story and Beyond project that aims to develop STEAM-related educational exhibits and programs for the community and greater region.

• $1 million for the Soboba Crossroads Project
  This funding will be used to assist with the construction of off-site public facilities required for the construction of a local economic development project in San Jacinto, including: street widening and paving; traffic signal improvements; installation of water, sewer, gas, electric, and communication utilities; and accessibility improvements.

• $663,224 for the City of Twentynine Palms Wastewater Treatment Facility
  This funding will support a joint wastewater system to protect drinking water from contamination for the City and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.

• $565,000 for Citywide Fuel Reduction in the City of Chino Hills
  This funding will support a hazardous fuel reduction project to minimize the potential for wildfires and protect residential communities through the ecologically beneficial removal of fuels.

• $500,000 for a Water Reservoir Replacement in the City of Blythe
  This funding will support replacement of an existing water reservoir with a new 500,000-gallon bolted steel water tank.

• $400,000 for Pedestrian and Safety Improvements in Lake Elsinore
  This funding will support upgrades to sidewalks and landscaped parkways in Downtown Lake Elsinore.

• $350,000 for Palo Verde Hospital’s Integrated Community Health Program
  This funding will ​​establish a community mobile health unit to provide primary, behavioral, and mental health services, as well as specialty care and health education in person and by telehealth services. 

• $250,000 to San Bernardino County for a Program to Connect People with Disabilities with Employers
  This funding will allow the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department to hire dedicated staff and develop programming to connect local employers and job seekers with disabilities.

• $200,000 for Salton Sea Perimeter Lake Feasibility Study
  This funding will support the Salton Sea Authority and US Army Corps of Engineers’ Salton Sea Perimeter Lake Feasibility Study to facilitate the development of a long-term solution to address future playa exposure and the associated public health and environmental impacts.

A full summary of the FY 2022 Appropriations Omnibus package is available here.

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