EPA announces $5M for watershed restoration

TAUNTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month announced $4,999,500 in federal funding to continue efforts of the Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration.

Funding highlights include $1 million to the Buzzards Bay Estuary Program and $1 million to the Narragansett Bay National Estuary Program for priority projects in those watersheds; approximately $1.5 million through EPA’s Healthy Communities Grant Program funding nine projects; and approximately $1.5 million in contracts and partnerships for work that contributes directly to protection of coastal water quality and provides better understanding of future efforts and practical solutions.

Project highlights from the past year include efforts to address high nutrient levels in stormwater impacting New England waterways.

There were two pilot projects on Cape Cod, in Chatham and in Hyannis, where stormwater retrofit “best management practice” systems were installed, and which are targeted for nutrient reduction.

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EPA expects that these pilots will provide valuable data and information about the percent reduction of nutrients that can be achieved with this technology. •

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