DEP Announces More than $12 Million to Fund Local Water Clean Up Projects in PA’s Southcentral Region
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Wednesday that 43 projects to clean up waters in the state’s Southcentral region have been selected to collectively receive more than $12 million in funding through DEP’s Growing Greener program.
“Growing Greener awardees help keep Pennsylvania clean,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “It is imperative that communities in Pennsylvania receive the necessary funding to reduce pollutants in area waterways.”
Statewide, more than $34 million has been awarded to fund 149 projects to clean up waters. Grantees have up to three years to implement their projects from the award date.
Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address Pennsylvania’s critical environmental concerns of the 21st century.
Growing Greener has helped to slash the backlog of farmland-preservation projects statewide, protect open space, eliminate the maintenance backlog in state parks, clean up abandoned mines and restore watersheds, provide funds for recreational trails and local parks, help communities address land use, and provide new and upgraded water and sewer systems.
DEP is authorized to allocate these funds in grants for watershed restoration and protection, abandoned mine reclamation, and abandoned oil and gas well plugging projects.
Three other state agencies also received funds to distribute for appropriate projects: the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to administer farmland preservation projects, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for state park renovations and improvements, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for water and sewer system upgrades.
Growing Greener projects in the Southcentral region include a project by the Berks County Conservation District to implement Riparian Forest Buffers in the Chesapeake Bay and watersheds impaired by agricultural sources. Four projects were selected in Berks County.
Berks County Conservation District, Agricultural Best Management Practice (BMP) Implementation in High Quality Kittatinny-Pine Creek watershed, $381,494.
Berks County Conservation District, Riparian Forest Buffer Implementation in Berks County, $385,000.
Berks County Conservation District, Little Swatara Creek Tributaries TMDL Ag BMP Implementation, $67,485.
Borough of Shoemakersville, Shoemakersville Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Pollution Control Bioswale, $42,200.
