Yesterday, the Maryland Board of Public Works in Annapolis approved more than $32 million in grants and loans today to reduce pollution and increase the use of climate-friendly renewable energy for Maryland’s water industry.
“These are smart environmental investments that protect public health and safety and green and grow the state’s economy,” said Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles.
The following projects were approved:
Braddock and Jennings Run Sewage Conveyance Improvements project – Allegany County
Funding of $18,847,464 – a $15,616,531 Bay Restoration Fund grant, a $1 million Energy Water Infrastructure program grant, a $557,733 grant in the form of forgiveness of the principal of a Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund loan and a $1,673,200 Water Quality State Revolving Loan Fund loan, all to Allegany County – will help fund planning, design and construction to replace two deteriorated sewage pumping stations with one regionalized pump station and to rehabilitate the aging sewage force main to convey sewage from the Braddock and Jennings Run area to the City of Cumberland for treatment at the Cumberland Wastewater Treatment Plant.
This project will be constructed in accordance with resiliency guidelines developed to reduce climate change risks to such projects.
Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Treatment Plants with Enhanced Nutrient Removal Upgrades – Statewide
Bay Restoration Fund grants totaling $11 million will provide funding for the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants with Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) upgrades. Grants from the Bay Restoration Fund equaling up to 10 percent of the annual fee revenue from wastewater treatment plant users can be provided to fund a portion of an ENR facility’s operation and maintenance.
MDE recommended an operation and maintenance base grant at a rate of up to $30,000 per million gallons per day of a facility’s design capacity, not to exceed $300,000 per year for any individual plant.
In addition to the base-grants, grants were awarded for plants achieving better than the enhanced nutrient removal level. These plants have reduced nitrogen discharged to Chesapeake Bay by over 11 million pounds per year, and phosphorus by more than a million pounds per year. Excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus lead to lowered levels of oxygen needed to support aquatic life in waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay.
ENR upgrades of wastewater treatment plants are a critical component of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay restoration plan. The board approved grants ranging in amount from $30,000 to $862,199 to a total of more than 50 facilities across the state.
Cumberland Flood Control System and Concrete Repairs project – Allegany County
A $126,994 Comprehensive Flood Management grant to the City of Cumberland will help fund repairs to the flood walls and Dry Run Dam in the city. The existing system has deteriorated due to wall settlement and inadequate reinforcement.
Inspections by the Maryland Department of Environment’s Dam Safety Division and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers deem the existing Cumberland Flood Control System to be in unacceptable condition. This project will extend the useful life of the flood system infrastructure and help mitigate the effects of future flood events.
Renewable Energy at the Utility Operations Complex project – Anne Arundel County
A $3 million Energy Water Infrastructure Program grant to Anne Arundel County will help fund the design and construction of a solar photovoltaic array at the Anne Arundel County Bureau of Utility Operations Complex in Millersville.
The solar photovoltaic panels will be installed on existing building rooftops and new parking lot canopies. The system is expected to provide about 97% of the total annual electricity usage at the complex.
A written agreement between the Maryland Energy Administration and MDE provides funding from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund for this project. The project will help the state achieve its ambitious greenhouse gas reduction and clean and renewable energy goals.
SOURCE: Maryland.gov
