In June, Reinvent Albany joined a coalition of environmental and sustainable transportation advocacy groups who oppose using $511m in state and federal clean water loans for construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. In a series of letters, the coalition asked the boards of the State Thruway Authority and the state Environmental Facilities Corporation not to take funds from the EFC’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which are intended for water quality protection and waste water treatment. Today, the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 2 office rejected the diversion of $481m of these dedicated clean water funds, while approving $29.1m. The clean water funds are a mixture of federal grants and repaid clean water loans, and state officials have contested EPA’s authority over the funds. Below is EPA’s letter to the state Thruway and EFC.