EPA and USDA join to help rural water systems

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency are partnering to offer grants to many small communities with limited resources for maintenance and compliance upgrades to their water and sewage systems, Deborah Solomon of the Wall Street Journal reports.

Training will be a crucial part of the program which the agencies say may bring some jobs into rural areas. "A critical part of this agreement is to ensure that we have a well trained, professional work force available to replace workers when they leave or retire, Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water, told Solomon. For the USDA press release, click here.