HARRISBURG, PA, Aug. 10, 2015 -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced that it has opened a new grant program to control urban stormwater and improve local water quality. Municipalities, including cities, boroughs or incorporated towns within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are eligible to apply.
"Urban stormwater runoff has a big role in local water quality; it's so important to manage that stormwater properly to prevent pollution from reaching our waterways," said DEP Secretary John Quigley. "These grants will serve as a valuable tool to enable local governments to improve their urban stormwater management and, ultimately, their water quality and that of their neighbors downstream."
The grants will fund construction of urban stormwater best management practices to reduce the discharge of nutrients and sediments delivered to local waterways, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. Eligible projects include but are not limited to:
- Green roofs
- Permeable pavement
- Rain gardens/bioretention
- Urban stream restoration
- Urban tree planting
- Wetlands and wet ponds
Projects must be complete within two years of the grant award. Grants will be selected on a competitive basis. The money for these grants is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, and there is $2,300,000 available for the grant program. The maximum funding amount per applicant is $200,000.
Projects cannot be associated with new development or for new detention basins. Projects must be within urbanized areas according to the latest Decennial Census in which National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit coverage is required for the discharge of stormwater from municipal separate storm sewer systems or for discharges from combined sewer overflows through combined sewer systems.
See also:
"PA officials restate commitment to improve health of Chesapeake Bay, waterways"
"PA gov announces $98.3M in water infrastructure funding for 12 counties"
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