WATER POLLUTION CONTROL 265

control up to the $450 million it had promised this year.

Otherwise, he said, the State will have to advance some $17 million
to make up the Federal deficit for sewage-treatment projects planned
in Maryland.

In a letter to the president, released today, Governor Agnew noted
that the administration had budgeted for only $200 million of the
$450 million Congress had authorized in the Clean Water Restoration
Act.

The Governor said that for the last five years Maryland has recog-
nized that water pollution control "is not purely a local affair, " and
that the State should share with communities and with the Federal
government the cost of pollution control projects.

"Under this arrangement the Federal dollars allotted to the State are
distributed among all eligible projects and the difference between the
Federal money and a fixed percentage is made up with State funds, "
the Governor explained. "Last year the guaranteed Federal-State grant
was 50 percent, the same as it had been for five years. "

He said that because of insufficient Federal funds, the State had to
pay 38 percent of the cost of such projects last year, while the Federal
government paid only 12 percent in an arrangement that should have
been shared 20 percent by the State and 30 percent by the Federal
government.

"Over the last 10 years the Federal grant for projects has amounted
to approximately 10 percent, even though they were eligible for 30 per-
cent, " the Governor said.

"In the face of that poor record of meeting even its base 30 percent
promise, the Clean Water Restoration Act increased the promise to as
much as 50 percent.

"Maryland again rose to the occasion. The General Assembly this
year passed and I signed a bill providing a bond issue to insure that
every eligible project will receive a 75 percent combined Federal-State
grant whether it is built this year or next.

"If the Federal government produces the money to back the incen-
tives promised in the Clean Water Restoration Act, Maryland will pay
no more than its rightful share. If the Federal government does not
appropriate enough money to pay its share, Maryland will be forced
to pick up the full burden or lose momentum in its fight to control
water pollution.