Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that nine projects in the state’s southeastern region were awarded a total of $1,481,139 through DEP’s Growing Greener Plus grant program. These projects work to protect waterways and watersheds, reclaim abandoned mine sites, and work to reclaim and plug abandoned oil and gas wells. This year’s awards exceed $12 million statewide.
“The Growing Greener Plus grant program empowers communities to pursue environmental progress and innovation,” said Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “This support fuels vital Pennsylvania initiatives that protect our land and restore local watersheds. As a result, our Commonwealth can look forward to a greener future.”
Energy Transfer Marketing & Terminals, L.P. has paid the Office of Attorney General (OAG) $10 million to fund projects that improve the health and safety of water sources along the routes of the pipelines. This funding is being distributed through existing Commonwealth grant programs to ensure high-impact projects are selected in the affected communities and that proper oversight is provided. Grant programs include those operated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the DEP.
“Pennsylvanians have a fundamental right to clean water, and these two projects will further my office’s mission to make that right a reality,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry. “The conviction we secured against Energy Transfer for environmental crimes while building natural gas pipelines will continue to pay dividends for future generations by funding projects that protect Pennsylvania’s natural resources.”
Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania's history to address critical environmental concerns. Growing Greener grants can be awarded to watershed groups, local or county government, municipal authorities, county planning commissions, county conservation districts, council of governments, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations. Grantees have up to three years to implement their projects.
The full list of approved Growing Greener Plus projects, funded by the Environmental Stewardship fund, in Southeastern Pennsylvania includes:
Bucks County:
- Cooks Creek Watershed Association— $52,575
- The project will update a 21-year-old Cooks Creek Watershed Conservation Plan for the Cooks Creek watershed. The focal point of this plan will be the detailed watershed surveys and recommendations of best management practices (BMPs), and stream restoration to maintain this creek's High Quality/ Exceptional Value status.
Chester County:
- Brandywine Red Clay Alliance— $91,700
- The project will develop a science-based approach to address impaired streams through a comprehensive watershed assessment and restoration plan for the Pocopson Creek Watershed.
- Goose Creek Alliance— $77,300
- The project will develop a Watershed Action Plan and Feasibility Study for the Goose Creek Watershed. The main goals of this project are to identify priority sites for restoration through an evaluation of existing watershed conditions and available background information, as well as to engage stakeholders and the community at large.
- Easttown Township— $41,217
- The project will design and construct 14 residential rain gardens throughout the township, and provide four public education workshops on stormwater issues in collaboration with Willistown Conservation Trust.
- West Chester Borough— $200,747
- The project will design, permit, and install stormwater BMPs, including rain gardens and a bioswale. The project will address impairments to the Goose Creek watershed and help detain and infiltrate stormwater above flood-prone sections of the creek, along residential property in West Chester.
Delaware County:
- Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art— $100,000
- The project will implement agricultural BMPs and green stormwater infrastructure in the Red Clay Creek and White Clay Creek Focus Areas.
Montgomery County:
- Lower Merion Conservancy— $217,600
- The project will restore large sections of the riparian buffer, upland woodlands, and native meadows in an 8.9 acre (ac) public preserve. The preserve is a popular destination for residents and home to important wildlife, as well as an outdoor classroom for the Conservancy's educational programming.
Philadelphia County:
- Philadelphia City Treasurer - Water Department— $350,000
- The project will build a series of rain gardens on the edges of North Philadelphia. These stormwater BMPs will manage run-off from nearly 324,000 sq. ft. of impervious surface. The BMPs will reduce nutrient and sediment pollutant loads from developed lands and urban runoff, and support the restoration and projection of Philadelphia's rivers.
- Philadelphia City Treasurer - Water Department— $350,000
- The project will manage run off from over 77,000 sq. ft. of impervious surface. It will construct one rain garden on a decades-old community garden, and a series of three stormwater tree trenches in North Philadelphia.
As part of the FY2022-23 budget, Act 54 of 2022 allocated funds to DEP for grants and reimbursements (up to 75% of allowable costs) to municipalities and counties for eligible activities. The primary focus of the Act 167 Plan grants for is for the preparation or revision of Act 167 Plans by counties.
The full list of approved Act 167 Stormwater Management Planning Grants, funded by the COVID- American Rescue Plan Act, in Southeastern Pennsylvania includes:
Bucks County:
- Act 167 Stormwater Planning Grant— $50,000
- Bucks County desires to prepare a county-wide Act 167 plan that integrates the requirements of the MS4 permit process, identifies additional areas of concern and potential solutions, and provides guidance to the seven municipalities that are not in the MS4 program. The development of a county-wide Act 167 plan will provide the resources and guidance necessary to assist municipalities with their stormwater management planning and implementation.
Chester County:
- Chester County Water Resources Authority— $50,000
- The project will update Chester County’s Act 167 plan to ensure the county and its citizens, businesses, organizations, and municipalities are equipped with the information needed to respond to ever-evolving local water resource needs. The Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA) is currently leading efforts with municipal partners to update the county-wide integrated water resources plan.
Delaware County:
- Growing Greener Plus - County-wide Act 167— $50,000
- Delaware County plans to update their existing Act 167 plans and this new county- wide plan will bring the entire County into Act 167 compliance. A county- wide plan will allow Delaware County to formally identity problematic areas for flooding and develop stormwater management solutions.
The approved project within the Mariner East 2 pipeline corridor from the OAG Energy Transfer settlement agreement in Southeastern Pennsylvania include:
Chester County:
- Westtown Township— $187,039
- The project will cover construction costs for the Thorne Drive Basin retrofit. The basin will be converted from a dry detention basin into a water quality basin. This project is a stormwater BMP to help the township meet pollutant reduction goals for the Goose Creek total maximum daily load (TMDL) and the Chester Creek pollution reduction plan (PRP).
Statewide Projects:
- Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation Development Council— $400,000
- The proposed project is a group of service providers that collaborate with watershed and lake management organizations and municipalities to enhance the programmatic and technical skills of these groups to successfully monitor, protect, and restore Pennsylvania's waterways throughout the state.
- Stream Restoration, Inc.— $352,583
- The project will provide watershed groups, nonprofit organizations, conservation districts, and governmental agencies technical assistance related to the monitoring, operation, and maintenance of abandoned mine drainage (AMD) treatment systems.
- Stream Restoration, Inc.— $268,432
- The project will provide watershed groups, nonprofits, conservation districts, and governmental agencies involved with the restoration of AMD impaired watersheds a free, user-friendly, web-based, GIS-enabled data and project management tool to help with monitoring, assessment, evaluation, management, and maintenance of watershed restoration projects with a major emphasis on AMD treatment systems.
For more information on the Growing Greener Plus grant program, application guidance, and to sign up for notifications when grant programs reopen, visit DEP’s webpage, Growing Greener Plus Grants Program.
You can also visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website, or follow DEP on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
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