HARRISBURG, Pa., March 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today continued Pennsylvania's commitment to the environment by announcing a $22 million investment in more than 120 projects that will help restore the state's polluted streams, provide clean water, and help prevent devastating floods in communities across the commonwealth
The Governor said Pennsylvania's long mining history and extensive farm industry have created challenges that affect the state's natural water resources. Additionally, regular floods throughout the state have diminished the effectiveness of natural and man-made measures designed to protect people, businesses and communities.
With the $22.3 million in grants announced today, however, Pennsylvania will expand its efforts to address these challenges.
"Pennsylvania has been blessed with incredible natural resources," said Governor Rendell. "Unfortunately our streams have been tainted by agricultural run-off and acid mine drainage from the unregulated activity of the past. Furthermore, recurring floods in many places have eroded stream banks and rendered many flood measures ineffective, which can exacerbate the damage caused to our communities.
"The $22.3 million in grants we are announcing today will help undo this damage with effective treatment systems, agricultural best management practices, stabilization work, stormwater management strategies, and flood protection projects. Together, these measures will help restore the health and natural functions of our streams."
Of the $22.3 million awarded today by the Department of Environmental Protection, $9 million comes from the Growing Greener program in the form of watershed grants and $10.1 million comes from the Growing Greener II initiative. The remaining $3.2 million was awarded by DEP in nonpoint source implementation program grants, which are funded by the federal government through Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.
The grants support acid mine drainage treatment facilities, stream bank stabilization efforts to reduce erosion and protect against flooding, added riparian buffers to filter pollutants before reaching streams, aquatic habitat improvements, and comprehensive watershed protection planning. The grants will also be used to implement innovative agricultural and stormwater management techniques that reduce nonpoint source pollution in streams.
This year, DEP is allocating up to $2 million to begin addressing the unmet operation and maintenance costs of acid mine drainage remediation projects.
The grant funds also will support the first Watershed Renaissance Initiative, awarding $381,000 to treat acid mind discharges in Indiana County's Bear Run watershed. The new initiative is intended to fund the complete or substantial implementation of an existing watershed restoration plan by encouraging public-private partnerships, long-term coordinated stewardship of the water resources, and educational outreach to promote environmental protection.
Smaller, impaired watersheds that have existing comprehensive plans to restore water quality are targeted through the Watershed Renaissance Initiative, which will again be available in next year's grant round.
Since 1999, DEP has invested more than $190 million in watershed grants for 1,657 projects in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania through the traditional Growing Greener program. The grants are used to create or restore wetlands, restore stream buffer zones, eliminate causes of nonpoint source pollution, plug oil and gas wells, reclaim abandoned mine lands and restore aquatic life to streams that were lifeless due to acid mine drainage.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the $625 million Growing Greener II initiative in May 2005 to clean up rivers and streams; protect natural areas, open spaces and working farms; and shore up key programs to improve quality of life and revitalize communities across the commonwealth. Since then, DEP has awarded $38.5 million for watershed projects to make Pennsylvania healthier, a better place to live, and more competitive in attracting and supporting business investment.
DEP is now accepting grant applications for the next Growing Greener grant round. Applications will be accepted until May 16.
For more information or to download a grant application form, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, keyword: Growing Greener.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a list by county of the 124 watershed restoration and protection grants:
ADAMS COUNTY
Watershed Alliance of Adams County - $15,300 for operation and maintenance of the East Berlin Stream Gauge on the Conewago Creek.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Bridgeville - $50,000 for streambank stabilization on McLaughlin Run.
Township of Upper St. Clair - $140,000 for water quality and habitat improvement on Chartiers Creek.
Trout Unlimited, Penn's Woods West Chapter - $133,055 for stream restoration on Little Pine Creek.
Jefferson Hills - $60,000 to stabilize a portion of Peters Creek that experiences severe erosion.
ARMSTRONG COUNTY
Parks Township - $24,950 for streambank stabilization and erosion control on Carnahan Run.
Armstrong Conservation District - $78,375 to remediate erosion issues along a 5.5 mile length of Plum Creek through utilization of natural stream design techniques and restoration of riparian buffers.
Armstrong Conservation District - $8,229 to restore and protect a portion of Buffalo Creek.
Armstrong Conservation District - $24,850 to assess 46 square miles of watersheds in Armstrong County that flow directly into the Allegheny River. The assessment would identify and prioritize problems including acid mine discharge, flooding, combined sewer overflows, sedimentation/erosion, and agricultural problems.
Armstrong Conservation District - $35,000 to reclaim five acres of abandoned mine land and convert the land into productive pastureland utilizing an intensive rotational grazing system.
BEAVER COUNTY
Independence Conservancy - $330,000 to continue stream restoration/stabilization at four sites on Raredon Run.
BEDFORD COUNTY
Broad Top Township - $375,000 for the design and construction of a passive treatment system in the headwaters of Sandy Run.
Broad Top Township - $15,600 for the design and construction of a passive treatment system in the headwaters of Sandy Run.
Juniata Clean Water Partnership - $100,000 for retrofitting the Tussey Mountain High School parking lot with a porous surface, leading to an interceptor water garden to protect an impaired stream.
BERKS COUNTY
Berks County Conservation Association - $171,660 to install innovative stormwater management techniques on the county agricultural campus to improve water quality and for educational purposes.
BLAIR COUNTY
City of Altoona - $100,000 for the final phase of stream improvements on Mill Run.
BRADFORD COUNTY
Schrader Creek Watershed Association - $129,985 to build a passive acid mine discharge treatment system on Coal Run, a tributary to Schrader Creek.
Canton Township - $135,000 for streambank stabilization, dirt and gravel road improvement and agricultural best management practices on eight farms in the North Branch Towanda Creek watershed.
Sylvania - $7,500 for a natural stream channel design for Wallace Run, a tributary to Sugar Creek.
BUCKS COUNTY
American Littoral Society - $145,000 for stream stabilization and restoration for a portion of Swamp Creek.
Warrington Township - $100,000 to install stormwater best management practices, including rain gardens, rain barrels, retrofitting basins, and to provide public education and outreach in the Little Neshaminy Creek watershed.
Bucks County Conservation District - $6,408 for organizing a new watershed advocacy organization, the Aquetong Watershed Association, in Solebury Township and New Hope.
Heritage Conservancy - $52,170 for education, outreach and streambank stabilization along an unnamed tributary to the Little Neshaminy Creek on the Lindsay Farm Preserve.
BUTLER COUNTY
Wild Waterways Conservancy - $42,800 for removal of concrete dam and submerged wooden dam at Harmony Junction in Jackson Township.
CAMBRIA COUNTY
Clearfield Creek Watershed Association - $40,828 for design of a passive treatment system to treat 3 acid mine drainage discharges in the headwaters of Little Laurel Run.
Cambria County Conservation District - $172,180 for acid mine discharge treatment on Trout Run, including an innovative limestone bed treatment system.
Cambria County Conservation District - $105,000 for four limestone bed treatment systems to treat abandoned mine discharge flowing to an active brook trout fishery on the South Fork Little Conemaugh River.
Dunlo Rod and Gun Club - $27,678 to raise alkalinity in the main stem of the South Fork Little Conemaugh River to restore brook trout to lower stream reaches.
CENTRE COUNTY
ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania - $34,150 to remove the remains of Dayton Dam, restore stream channel and install fish habitat structures to enhance the existing wild trout fishery.
Milesburg - $5,000 to establish the Bald Eagle Watershed Association.
Centre Region Council of Governments - $10,000 for education and outreach on stream buffer protection.
CHESTER COUNTY
Tredyffrin Township - $64,415 for the construction of rock infiltration trenches at two storm sewer outfalls.
Brandywine Valley Association - $54,500 for stream and floodplain restoration on an unnamed tributary to Doe Run.
CLEARFIELD COUNTY
Emigh Run/Lakeside Watershed Association Inc. - $170,646 for acid mine drainage treatment on Emigh Run.
Pike Township - $400,082 for design and reclamation of acid mine discharges on Anderson Creek.
Lawrence Township Supervisors - $47,063 for the design, permitting and engineering design costs of a passive treatment system for unnamed tributary of Montgomery Creek.
Emigh Run/Lakeside Watershed Association - $17,292 for an acid mine treatment system study for the upper most reaches of Hubler Run.
Clearfield Creek Watershed Association - $49,000 to assess acid mine drainage to Muddy Run and its tributaries and develop a restoration and sampling plan.
CLINTON COUNTY
Trout Unlimited - $595,000 for a passive treatment system for discharges to Two Mile Run, a tributary to lower Kettle Creek.
Trout Unlimited - $99,363 for mine pool stabilization at the Kettle Creek Coal Co. mine No. 1.
Keystone Central School District - $40,000 to convert a former agricultural field adjacent to the school into a wetland and convert five acres of adjoining upland native grasses for use as a wetlands educational tool.
CRAWFORD COUNTY
Crawford County Conservation District - $210,000 for installation of agricultural best management practices on eight farms.
Allegheny College - $25,000 for an environmental assessment of the Mill Run watershed.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Trout Unlimited, Cumberland County Chapter - $6,863 to remove floodplain and channel obstructions associated with the Piper Mill and Thomas Hatchery operations on Big Spring Creek.
DAUPHIN COUNTY
Dauphin County Conservation District - $256,790 for construction of a passive treatment system for discharges polluting Bear Creek and Wiconisco Creek.
DELAWARE COUNTY
Villanova University - $185,000 for stormwater wetland best management practice reconfiguration.
Swarthmore - $21,759 to address stormwater management at a playground and pocket park in an urban area.
ELK COUNTY
Elk County Freshwater Association - $250,000 for two treatment systems on Big Mill Creek to abate the persistent acidic conditions.
ERIE COUNTY
Mercyhurst College - $106,500 for a two-year E. coli bacteria monitoring study of the Walnut Creek and Elk Creek watersheds that will identify sources of the bacteria and lead to an action plan that will assist in resolving the bacteria pollution issues in the Lake Erie tributaries.
Erie County Conservation District - $300,000 for 40 agricultural best management practices projects to reduce nonpoint source pollution from farms.
City of Erie - $65,180 for installation of a litter/debris trap on the lower Mill Creek channel at the city's wastewater treatment facility.
FAYETTE COUNTY
Jacob's Creek Watershed - $54,195 to apply best management practices to eliminate shore erosion, and improve water quality and fish habitat in Greenlick Lake.
Fayette County Conservation District - $131,828 to design and implement agricultural nutrient and sediment reduction best management practices in headwater streams.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Falling Spring Greenway - $200,000 to restore degraded reaches of the Falling Spring Branch for the benefit of aquatic species and upland wildlife.
FULTON COUNTY
Fulton County Conservation District - $283,750 for restoration of Spring Run.
Fulton County Conservation District - $160,500 for a publicly accessible greenway with a stable stream channel and a walking trail along Big Cove Creek.
Fulton County Conservation District - $113,770 for providing incentives for 2,000 acres of cover crops on corn silage fields, a no-till farming strategy.
INDIANA COUNTY
Indiana County Conservation District - $160,000 for agricultural best management practices on 10 farms in various watersheds throughout Indiana County.
Indiana County Conservation District - $380,709 for a Watershed Renaissance Initiative to abate acid mine discharges to Bear Run, a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna.
Stream Restoration Inc. - $14,000 to develop a conceptual plan to treat acid mine discharges at the McIntyre refuse pile, including use of an innovative pre-treatment technology.
LACKAWANNA COUNTY
Taylor - $704,127 for channel restoration and culvert construction on the Colliery Property.
LANCASTER COUNTY
Trout Unlimited, Donegal Chapter - $129,487 for streambank stabilization, fencing and riparian buffer planting along Conowingo Creek.
Columbia - $325,000 to implement a variety of stormwater best management practices, including porous asphalt and concrete surfaces, vegetated swales, and rain gardens, at the new Riverfront Park.
Franklin & Marshall College - $516,650 for sediment and nutrient monitoring relating to legacy sediments.
Enterprising Environmental Solutions - $387,500 to restore a portion of Big Stream Run and remove legacy sediments, reconnect stream to floodplain, restore and create wetlands and riparian buffer. The project will also generate nutrient trading credits and develop some economic value projections for legacy sediments mixed with manure compost.
LEBANON COUNTY
Lebanon Valley Conservancy - $250,000 to implement best management practices on the Quittapahilla Creek.
LUZERNE COUNTY
Luzerne County Conservation District - $102,362 to repair damage to Toby Creek caused by flooding.
Luzerne County Conservation District - $86,689 for a watershed assessment for use in flood-mitigation planning.
LYCOMING COUNTY
Rose Valley/Mill Creek Watershed Association - $3,030 for steambank stabilization on Mill Creek.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Whitpain Township - $60,000 to convert two stormwater detention basins to naturalized basins and to increase infiltration and reduce nonpoint source pollution.
Upper Dublin Township - $42,283 to restore a portion of Little Pine Run and to
restore 25,000 square feet of riparian buffer area.
Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association - $40,611 to expand a created wetland area along Bethlehem Pike in Fort Washington to mitigate flood waters, reduce nonpoint source pollution, and provide additional habitat for birds and wildlife.
Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust - $50,085 for a large infiltration trench to capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff from approximately 18 acres of suburban residential area and roadway.
MONTOUR COUNTY
Montour County Conservation District - $63,354 for installation of manure storage on the Seven Springs Farm.
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
Northampton County Conservation District - $115,261 to install agriculture best management practices at four agricultural sites determined to be nonpoint sources of nutrients and sediment pollution to the Bushkill-Jacoby watersheds.
Wildlands Conservancy - $325,670 to complete the construction of a natural stream channel, floodplain and bank restoration design for more than 1,000 feet of Saucon Creek and an unnamed tributary.
Bushkill Stream Conservancy - $107,000 for a constructed wetland within the Bushkill Creek Watershed to ease flooding issues in the College Hill section of Easton and improve water quality.
City of Bethlehem - $64,071 to remove the Saucon Creek dam and enhance/stabilize approximately 2,100 feet of stream channel.
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
Northumberland County Conservation District - $79,000 to conduct a feasibility study to treat Quaker Run which is heavily impacted by acid mine discharge from three sources.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
Schuylkill Conservation District - $433,189 to evaluate surface and ground water interactions and possible consequences of acid mine discharge remediation, stream restoration and mine pool utilization.
SOMERSET COUNTY
Somerset County Conservation District - $86,000 for repairs to two acid mine treatment facilities on Stonycreek River.
Shade Creek Watershed Association - $20,000 to raise the alkalinity of various tributaries of Shade Creek to improve water quality.
SULLIVAN COUNTY
Columbia County Conservation District - $40,000 for acid mine discharge treatment on Heberly Run, a tributary of Fishing Creek.
TIOGA COUNTY
Babb Creek Watershed Association - $290,000 for two limestone bed passive treatment systems for acid mine discharge on Rock Run, a tributary of Babb Creek.
Babb Creek Watershed Association - $21,835 to rehabilitate an acid mine discharge treatment system and convert it to a settling pond and an open limestone ramp.
County of Tioga - $30,000 to assess and design streambank stabilization/relocation needs of two miles of Marsh Creek. Benefits include mitigation of flood flows to the Village of Stokesdale, stabilization of an eroding railroad grade, stabilization of specific project sites for a "Rails to Trails" corridor extension and reduction of sediment loading.
UNION COUNTY
Union County Conservation District - $235,528 for agricultural restoration on impaired subwatersheds.
WARREN COUNTY
Warren County Conservation District - $25,000 to stabilize streambanks and riparian areas.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Washington County Conservation District - $100,000 to convert a vertical flow pond acid mine discharge treatment system into a limestone bed treatment system.
WAYNE COUNTY
Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District - $7,300 to stabilize the shoreline along Lake Wallenpaupack adjacent to the boating access at Mangan Cove to reduce soil erosion and provide riparian plantings.
Wayne Conservation District - $4,614 to start the Equinunk Watershed Alliance to protect and preserve the Equinunk watershed.
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Mt. Pleasant Borough Municipal Building - $72,327 to retrofit a stormwater system.
Loyalhanna Watershed Association - $500,000 to construct a passive acid mine discharge treatment system to improve the water quality in the Loyalhanna Creek.
Turtle Creek Watershed Association - $142,338 for stream restoration and riparian buffering in the Haymaker Run tributary of Turtle Creek.
Sewickley Creek Watershed Association - $95,000 to assess degradation from nonpoint sources in the watershed and develop a restoration plan.
WYOMING COUNTY
Mehoopany Creek Watershed Association - $550,000 to restore the historical stream channel and provide additional natural stream channel stabilization.
YORK COUNTY
Izaak Walton League of America Inc., York Chapter 67 - $30,000 for stream restoration on Pierceville Run - Mitchell Pasture subwatershed of the South Branch Codorus Creek.
Izaak Walton League of America Inc., York Chapter 67 - $100,000 for stream restoration on Pierceville Run - Rockville Road subwatershed of the South Branch Codorus Creek.
MULTIPLE COUNTIES
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts - $143,700 to administer the Non-Point Source Educational Mini Grant program, provide workshops and training including the annual Watershed Specialists meeting.
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts - $5,693,740 for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, supporting farm-based conservation practices such as forest riparian buffers, wetlands, and grass swales in 59 counties.
Luzerne County Conservation District - $123,500 for abandoned mine reclamation
program coordination through the Eastern Pa. Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation.
Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation - $121,500 for conservation district demonstration projects remediating acid mine discharges.
Wyoming County Conservation District - $131,680 for streambank stabilization demonstration project along the South Branch of Tunkhannock Creek.
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $111,566 for agricultural best management practices in the impaired Yellow Creek watershed.
Somerset County Conservation District - $150,000 to install stream bank fencing, livestock watering systems, access lanes, and other pasture improvement
management practices on 20 farms in a 14-county area.
American Rivers Inc. - $500,000 for dam removal and river restoration projects statewide.
Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy - $250,000 for approximately 80 stream restoration projects in 14 counties, comprising 20 stream miles.
Headwaters Chartable Trust - $40,000 for rotational grazing systems to reduce sediment and nutrient loading to surface and groundwaters.
Natural Lands Trust - $51,000 for a land conservation planning tool to prioritize sites in northeastern Pennsylvania communities.
Penn Soil Resource Conservation & Development Council - $51,000 to promote use of rotational grazing systems that reduce sediment and nutrient loading to groundwater and surface water.
Capital Resource Conservation & Development Area Council - $140,000 for technical assistance relating to no-till farm management systems.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - $250,000 to continue the TreeVitalize Watersheds program that restores tree cover in Southeastern Pennsylvania, including riparian buffers and plantings in stormwater detention basins.
Friends Central School - $50,000 to restore riparian areas in urban parkland along Indian Creek.
Peters Creek Watershed Association - $59,055 to assess and develop a watershed plan for Peters Creek in Allegheny and Washington counties.
Penn State University - $7,344 to develop database software to extract best management practices data.
Trout Unlimited - $120,500 to provide rapid-response and prioritized technical assistance to applicants in several areas of mine reclamation activities.
Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation - $100,000 to recover, process, and sell iron oxide from the treatment of mine drainage pollution.
Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation - $100,000 for quick-response repairs on water quality projects that provide critical protections.
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts - $300,000 for engineering technical assistance for projects that treat acid mine drainage, restore streams and implement agricultural best management practices.
Pennsylvania Envirothon - $70,000 to support the efforts of the Pennsylvania Envirothon program.
Stroud Water Research Center - $214,725 to expand an on-going study of three streams to demonstrate the impact acid mine discharge has on ecosystem function, particularly nutrient processing.
Trout Unlimited, Doc Fritchey Chapter - $25,000 for an acid mine discharge treatment project on mine discharges that flow to Rausch Creek and Stoney Creek. The treatment systems would replace the diversion wells that have been maintained on Stoney Creek since 1986.
Trout Unlimited - $81,000 to provide updated water quality and benthic data for the entire West Branch Susquehanna River to document the existing condition of the river and its tributaries, and to quantify water quality improvements and establish a benchmark to measure future improvements.
Moshannon Creek Watershed Coalition - $62,000 to assess acid mine drainage impacting a section of Moshannon Creek from Bear Run to Trout Run and to complete a restoration plan.
CONTACT:
Chuck Ardo
717-783-1116
Neil Weaver, DEP
717-787-1323
Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
