NEW YORK, NY September 08, 2009 —New York City's sewage operations will get freshening up, through $220 million in federal economic stimulus money. With the funds, which are coming to the city through Albany, the city will upgrade equipment at four wastewater treatment facilities, and replace sludge ships, which carry raw sewage to the plants. Governor Paterson says the new sludge vessels will make 1,000 fewer trips a year, saving New York City an estimated $19 million in fuel costs.

They will obviously have engines that have better energy efficiency, which will try to accommodate our inevitable goal of reducing green gas house emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2050.

The money comes from a $432 million stimulus grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the largest award given to any state in the history of the EPA.