University of Texas at Austin PhD Student Wins EPA Grant for Water Quality Study

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

University of Texas at Austin PhD Student Wins EPA Grant for Water Quality Study

Contact: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov  

DALLAS – (Sept. 12, 2016) Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a University of Texas at Austin student has been awarded a Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowship. Arley F. Muth is one of 52 graduate students across the nation to receive the grants to further their education while conducting research in environmental fields of study.

“As one of the nation’s premier research universities, UT-Austin can be proud of the work of its students and for fostering the next generation of leaders in environmental science,” said EPA Regional Administration Ron Curry. “Congratulations to the future Dr. Muth and to all of this year’s STAR fellows.”

Muth is pursuing a PhD and researching water quality in estuaries and along coasts. The STAR grant of $132,000 was awarded for Muth’s project on ocean acidification, “Algal and Invertebrate Assemblages in Varying Oceanographic Conditions: Effects of Ocean Acidification on Recruitment, Early Succession, and Grazing along the Pacific Coast of the U.S. and Chile.”

This class of STAR Graduate Fellows was selected from a large number of applications in a highly competitive review process and is as impressive as it is diverse. The graduate students are studying and conducting research at 37 U.S. universities in disciplines such as atmospheric chemistry, green energy, hydrogeology and predictive toxicology. Master’s students are awarded a maximum funding of $88,000 over two years and doctoral students are awarded up to $132,000 for three years to support their graduate research and studies.

Since the program began more than 20 years ago, graduate students from the STAR Fellowship Program have engaged in innovative research opportunities leading some to become prominent leaders in environmental science. The program has awarded nearly 2000 students a total of more than $65 million in funding since 1995. This year’s STAR Fellows are poised to become the next generation of environmental professionals who can make significant impacts in environmental science and beyond.

As part of a federal-wide reorganization of programs supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the funding for EPA’s STAR and Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) fellowship programs has been consolidated this year with the National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship programs. This reorganization strategically increases federal resources for STEM undergraduate and graduate education into one agency allowing more students fellowship opportunities. EPA is also a partner with the NSF through the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP), which has a number of federal agencies as partners. This program expands opportunities for NSF Graduate Research Fellows to enhance their professional development through an internship at EPA where they can participate in research experience and receive mentoring from scientists, all while focusing on the protection of human health and the environment.

Learn more about the STAR fellows: https://www.epa.gov/research-fellowships/star-graduate-and-gro-undergraduate-fellowship-recipient-list#star

Learn more about EPA’s fellowship opportunities: https://www.epa.gov/research-fellowships
 

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EPA Provides Syracuse University Funding to Support Environmental Education

Press release:

EPA Provides Syracuse University Funding to

Support Environmental Education

$131,050 Environmental Education Grant To Support At Least 30 Projects

Contact: Terry Ippolito, 212-637-3671, ippolito.teresa@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – Sept. 13, 2012) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck announced today that EPA has provided more than $130,000 to Syracuse University to fund educational projects in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the eight federally recognized Tribal Nations within New York State. The university will use the funding to award approximately 30 grants of $5,000 or less to schools and community organizations to support projects to reduce the run-off of polluted rain-water and promote municipal waste reduction, recycling and composting. The Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) Center for Sustainable Community Solutions is seeking proposals for projects that promote partnerships between community groups and school districts serving students from kindergarten to grade 12 in urban and rural communities. Information is available at http://www.syracusecoe.org/coe/sub1.html?skuvar=223.

“Educating students about the importance of environmental protection is one of the most important things we can do to create a generation of students with the tools to improve the health of their communities,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator.

The SyracuseCoE Center for Sustainable Community Solutions will be collaborating on the grant project with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Materials Management, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, Reuse Alliance and the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board. The university will provide expertise and technical assistance to the grant recipients and monitor the projects. Webinars and /or podcasts will bring the grantees together to share lessons learned when their projects are completed.

The Syracuse program is designed to improve connections between organizations and school districts, encourage development of community based projects and provide career development for students. The grants program will support EPA priorities related to strengthening communities and improving water quality.

EPA’s local and nationwide educational programs promote environmental stewardship and support excellence in environmental education. Since 1992, EPA has funded over $55 million in environmental education grants to support more than three thousand projects across the country. Agency partnerships, including those with the National Environmental Education Foundation, the Environmental Education Training Partnership, and the current EPA supported EECapacity Program, have given thousands of formal and non-formal educators the skills and knowledge needed to teach students of all ages about safeguarding the environment.

More information about EPA’s environmental education programs and a link to sign up for future environmental education grant announcements can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/education/

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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EPA Boosts Efforts to Revitalize Richmond’s Bellemeade Community

Press release:

EPA Boosts Efforts to Revitalize Richmond’s Bellemeade Community

(RICHMOND, Va. - September 7, 2012) Funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will support the City of Richmond’s efforts to transform the southside community of Bellemeade into a greener, healthier neighborhood. The City will use the nearly $60,000 EPA urban waters grant to create the Bellemeade Watershed Coalition and assist the group in restoring Bellemeade Creek.

“Restoring urban waters is essential to revitalizing the health, livability and economic future of communities, especially historically underserved neighborhoods like Bellemeade,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “EPA’s funding is helping empower local stakeholders to play an active role in cleaning up their communities and creating neighborhood places that offer recreational and economic value for years to come.”

Bellemeade community members have been working with the City in developing a Watershed Concept Plan for restoring the water quality and health of Bellemeade Creek, making it a key educational resource for a new community school and recreational asset for use by residents.

EPA’s funding will also help build the coalition’s capacity by providing workshops on preventing pollution, creating a web-based interactive watershed map and other activities.

Ellen Gilinsky, a senior advisor in EPA’s national Office of Water, and Jon Capacasa, director of EPA’s regional water protection division, toured the Bellemeade watershed today with Richmond officials and stakeholders who will be part of the new coalition.

EPA’s Urban Waters program helps cities unlock the potential of their waterways and the land around them to better serve the needs of their communities. For more information on EPA’s Urban Waters program visit http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/index.html   

EPA Requests Proposals for $216,000 Environmental Education Grant

Press release from EPA:

EPA Requests Proposals for $216,000 Environmental Education Grant

Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – Aug. 28, 2012) Through Nov. 21, EPA Region 4 will accept proposals from eligible schools and entities for a $216,000 environmental education grant to develop new programs promoting environmental stewardship across the Southeast.

The Environmental Education Regional Grants Program is a competitive program that supports EPA’s efforts to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues. The total estimated funding for this opportunity is approximately $2,160,000 nationwide. EPA expects to award 10 grants nationally—one per region—with each individual award totaling no more than $216,000.

Applications can be submitted electronically via www.grants.gov by Nov. 21, 2012, 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. Alternately, applications may be postmarked by Nov. 21 or hand delivered by the end of the business day to the EPA Southeast Regional Office. Proposals received after the due date will not be considered.

A solicitation notice announcing the grants program is available online at www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html. In September, EPA will host two webinars for potential applicants interested in additional information about the application process. The date, time and call-in information for the webinars will be posted on the website, and interested persons can sign-up online to receive e-mail updates.

Environmental education grants provide funding to local education agencies, state education and environmental agencies; colleges and universities; not-for-profit organizations; and non-commercial broadcasting entities. Tribal education agencies controlled by an Indian tribe, band or nation, including schools and community colleges, may also apply.

Learn more about EPA’s environmental education grants: www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html

For additional information, contact Kathy Armstrong at armstrong.kathy@epa.gov or 404-562-8225.

EPA Announces More than $1 Million for MSU and Michigan Tech to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

Press release:

CONTACT: Joshua Singer, 312-353-5069, singer.joshua@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   No. 12-OPA073

EPA Announces More than $1 Million for MSU and Michigan Tech to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

(CHICAGO – August 27, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced more than $1 million for Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University to research the impact of extreme weather on water and air quality.

Michigan State in East Lansing was awarded a $750,000 grant to quantify the relationship between extreme weather events and harmful algal blooms and to predict the effects of climate change on algal blooms and water quality. Increases in water temperature with more frequent and severe floods and droughts could worsen water quality. Using satellite images and water quality models, researchers will help to improve long-term water quality management.
Michigan Tech in Houghton was awarded a $374,960 grant to research projected changes in weather such as heat waves, lightning and lightning-caused wildfires, and their impact on air quality. Researchers will attempt to quantify the impact of extreme weather on particulate matter and smog, which can harm human health.

“It’s important to understand how extreme weather events affect air and water quality,” said Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for science for EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

Over the past several months, EPA has awarded nearly $9 million to 14 projects to research and develop tools and technologies that help prepare air and water quality management systems for extreme weather. For more information about the projects: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/xevents.

EPA Announces $748,902 for Ohio State University to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

Press release:

CONTACT: Joshua Singer, 312-353-5069, singer.joshua@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   No. 12-OPA072

EPA Announces $748,902 for Ohio State University to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

(CHICAGO – August 27, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $748,902 grant for Ohio State University to study the connection between extreme weather and water quality.

Ohio State researchers will study the relationship between water quality and extreme weather events that are projected to increase due to climate change. Increased flooding, excessive heat and prolonged droughts could harm water quality in Lake Erie. Researchers will examine how and whether harmful algal blooms, cyanotoxins and disinfectant byproducts in drinking water could threaten human health. This work will help to improve future water quality management.

“It’s important to understand how extreme weather events affect air and water quality,” said Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for science for EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

Over the past several months, EPA has awarded nearly $9 million to 14 projects to research and develop tools and technologies that help prepare air and water quality management systems for extreme weather. For more information about the projects: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/xevents.

EPA Awards $200,000 to N. Brookfield, Mass. for Brownfields Cleanup Work

Press release:

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 24, 2012

Contact: EPA Public Affairs, (617) 918-1010

EPA Awards $200,000 to N. Brookfield, Mass. for Brownfields Cleanup Work
(Boston, Mass. – August 24, 2012) – EPA is providing a $200,000 Brownfields cleanup grant to the Town of North Brookfield.  This is the fourth cleanup grant that North Brookfield has won under EPA’s competitive Brownfields grant selection process to cleanup the 5.5-acre former Aztec Asbestos Co. Site.

The cleanup work in North Brookfield has been preceded by a $1.5 million EPA Demolition removal action on the site. Subsequent to the removal action, an EPA Brownfields assessment of the site provided valuable information about what cleanup work needed to be performed at the site.  Two of the four Aztec parcels are now occupied by a new Police Station.

The goal of EPA Brownfields grants is to lead to the clean up & sustainable redevelopment of Brownfields sites, thus improving the economy and quality of life in American communities.The funding is part of more than $17 million in EPA Brownfields investments across the six New England states announced by EPA in 2012.

“EPA Brownfields funding helps strengthen the economic foundation and is a catalyst for further growth in our communities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA New England’s office. “Cleaning and revitalizing contaminated sites helps create jobs, and can help a community to create new businesses and neighborhood centers, while making our environment cleaner and the community healthier.”

Since the beginning of EPA’s Brownfields Program, in New England alone EPA has awarded 296 assessment grants totaling $72.7 million, 62 revolving loan fund grants and supplemental funding totaling $68.4 million and 213 cleanup grants totaling $47 million.  These grant funds have paved the way for more than $1.45 billion in public and private cleanup and redevelopment investment and for 9,756 jobs in assessment, cleanup, construction and redevelopment on over 2200 sites across New England.

Nationally, the figures are impressive: As of August 2012, EPA’s Brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $18.3 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding from a variety of public and private sources and helped create approximately 76,500 jobs. More than 18,500 properties have been assessed, and over 750 properties have been cleaned up. These investments and jobs target local, under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods – places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.

More Information on EPA’s Brownfields program in New England: http://epa.gov/region1/brownfields/index.html

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MIT Researchers Awarded $750,000 Grant to Study Climate Change Effects

News Release

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 22, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

MIT Researchers Awarded $750,000 Grant to Study Climate Change Effects

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 22, 2012) – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been awarded $749,931 by the US Environmental Protection Agency to examine the ability of models to represent the presence of extreme air pollution and the weather conditions that are associated with it.

This grant was one of 14 awarded by EPA to universities across the nation for a total of $9 million to fund research on technologies that can help the public and government agencies predict and prepare for the effect extreme weather triggered by climate change may have on the nation’s air and water quality.

The project at MIT, based in Cambridge, Mass., will use advanced statistical techniques to identify the drivers and occurrence of historical and future extreme air quality events in the United States from observations and models.

“We need to know how changes in weather and extreme weather events will affect the quality of our air and water,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Grants like the one EPA awarded to MIT furthers research that can help us understand the impact of such weather on our natural resources as well as our built environment. In turn, this information can help us take steps to reduce the harmful impact on our communities brought by extreme weather events.”

The project involves a collaboration of atmospheric scientists at MIT and the National Center for Atmospheric Research with statisticians at Colorado State University and North Carolina State University.

"We are excited that in this project we are bringing together statisticians who specialize in thinking about extreme events with atmospheric scientists who are concerned with air quality issues,” said project leader Colette Heald at MIT. “It's a great team to tackle this problem and we are looking forward to learning more about the connections between extreme air quality and extreme weather."

The other 13 grants were awarded to: Public Policy Institute of California, Mississippi State University, Ohio State University, Oregon State University, University of Washington, University of South Florida (two grants), Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Institute of Technology, Columbia University, and Cornell University.

More information on these EPA research grants (http://www.epa.gov/ncer/xevents).

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Small Business in Topsfield, Mass. Receives $300,000 Grant to Develop Air Quality Monitoring Equipment

Press release:

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 21, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Small Business in Topsfield, Mass. Receives $300,000 Grant to Develop Air Quality Monitoring Equipment

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 21, 2012) – A business in Topsfield, Mass. was among seven businesses nationwide to win a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop and commercialize technology that helps protect the environment.

OPTRA Inc. Topsfield, Mass, received $299,956 for its air quality monitoring equipment from EPA’s Small Business Innovation and Research program. The air quality monitoring system will allow for the detection of a broader range of compounds and at a much lower level than previously available.

"This novel approach to air quality monitoring increases the number of compounds we can simultaneously detect at trace levels," said Julia Rentz Dupuis, chief technology officer at OPTRA. "The overall approach represents a more versatile solution than conventional methods."
“Small businesses are key to a strong economy in our towns and cities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “OPTRA is helping find new ways protect our environment, developing green jobs, and exploring innovation and technology solutions to environmental issues.”

The Small Business program awarded seven contracts to small businesses across the nation to develop new technologies to keep the environment clean and healthy. Companies won the contracts through the highly competitive annual Small Business Innovation Research program competition, which encourages small businesses to explore and develop environmental technologies from concept to commercialization.

The winning companies submitted their innovative ideas during the first phase of the SBIR competition in 2011, and received SBIR Phase I contracts of up to $80,000 to develop their concepts into technologies addressing key environmental areas. Winning the SBIR Phase I competition made these companies eligible to apply to the program’s Phase II competition this year. As Phase II recipients, these companies have received around $300,000 to further develop their technologies for the market place.

In the last 10 years this program has funded more than 200 small companies. One such company, Ecovative Design, leveraged its funding to get $6 million in capital investment funding.  Ecovative Design develops biologically-based substitutes for polystyrene packaging and sustainable insulation. For packaging, Ecovative uses locally available waste, such as rice and soybean hulls as filler inside custom grown mushroom roots that can be made into a customizable shape to fit each customer’s particular need.

The other six Phase II recipients announced recently include:

• FBS, Inc., Pennsylvania for technology addressing detection of defects in water pipelines using ultrasonic guided waves
• Lynntech, Inc., Texas, for developing automated, field deployable environmental monitors that promote clean up strategies for restoring contaminated sites to productive use
• TDA Research, Inc., Colorado, for technology using waste gas from anaerobic digesters on farms to generate energy while preventing groundwater contamination and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
• Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc., Illinois, for technology treating new types of contaminants in drinking water
• Adherent Technologies, Inc., New Mexico, for a pollution control technology reducing particulate pollution emitted by outdoor wood-fired boilers by more than 50 percent
• Faraday Technology, Inc., Ohio, for a drop-in green chrome plating process that replaces conventional carcinogenic plating technology

In addition to OPTRA, three small businesses from New England received smaller grants earlier this year to develop technologies that help the environment. These companies were GVD Corp. of Cambridge, Mass., Aerodyne Research, Inc. of Billerica, Mass. and Orono Spectral Solutions, Inc., of Bangor, Maine. They were among 25 companies awarded contracts in Phase I of the annual competition.
To participate in the program, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000 and Phase II awards up to $300,000.

More information on program eligibility: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir

More information on the 2012 Phase II SBIR recipients: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir12ph2

More information on the SBIR Program: http://www.SBIR.gov

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EPA Grant to Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments will help assess Allegheny County properties for potential redevelopment

Press release:

EPA Grant to Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments will help assess Allegheny County properties for potential redevelopment

PHILADELPHIA (August 21, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $600,000 Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant to the Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments to identify and assess potentially contaminated sites in southeast Allegheny County for cleanup and redevelopment.

The Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments received the EPA grant on behalf of its member municipalities and other local governments that make up the Twin Rivers Council of Governments and Steel Valley Council of Governments. The funding will be used to inventory potential brownfields sites in all 41 municipalities, and further assess about 25 sites for possible petroleum and hazardous waste contamination.

“EPA’s Brownfields program is empowering communities to initiate first steps in cleaning up vacant properties so they can be put back to beneficial use,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “We commend these local governments for securing federal funding that when leveraged with other financial investments will improve their communities’ environmental health and strengthen local economies.” Regional Administrator Garvin congratulated the grant recipients at a press conference today at the former U.S. Steel Slag Dump in Penn Hills.

Since 1998 more than $18.3 billion has been spent to clean up and redevelop brownfields properties as a result of EPA grant funding and efforts of recipients to work with public and private sources to leverage dollars. As of August 2012, more than 18,000 properties have been assessed and more than 700 have been cleaned up.

EPA’s brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. For more information on environmental assessment grants, visit: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ assessment_grants.htm. To see list of all awarded brownfields grants by state, visit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/.

EPA Awards $55,600 to Promote Deckers Creek Restoration

Press release:

EPA Awards $55,600 to Promote Deckers Creek Restoration

Friends of Deckers Creek in W.V. Receives EPA Urban Waters Small Grant

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 20, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today joined city, state and non-profit officials in announcing $55,600 in federal funding to help pave the way for cleaning up mine pollution affecting Deckers Creek and highlighting the economic benefits of creek restoration.

“Today we begin a new chapter in the history of Deckers Creek – one holding great promise for both the health of the creek and the city’s economy,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “This project clarifies the connection between economic investment and resource restoration, while generating the necessary information for treating polluted water.”

The highly competitive grant from the EPA Urban Waters program will fund a study of an abandoned underground coal mine discharging polluted water into Deckers Creek, which runs for three miles through the City of Morgantown. The study will aid in the eventual treatment of the mine water.

The funds will also help initiate a public education campaign to advise business owners and the city’s development community about the economic potential of restoring Deckers Creek, and forming a community partnership to take the next steps in the process.

The grant was awarded to Friends of Deckers Creek, a community-based non-profit watershed group working to clean up Deckers Creek, a tributary of the Monongahela River that flows from Preston County into Monongalia County, W.Va. The creek is impacted by acid mine drainage and other pollution issues.

EPA’s Urban Waters program helps cities unleash the potential of their waterways and land around them. The funding supports communities’ efforts to access, improve and benefit from their urban waters and surrounding land.

Information on EPA’s Urban Waters program: http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/index.html.

Penobscot Indian Nation Receives Grant of nearly $149,000 to Improve Water Quality

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
July 25, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Penobscot Indian Nation Receives Grant of nearly $149,000 to Improve Water Quality

(Boston, Mass. – July 25, 2012) – The Penobscot Indian Nation has received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $148,924 to help reduce nonpoint source water pollution on their tribal lands.  The grant was selected in a competitive review process among 52 proposals.  A total of 20 grants were funded by EPA.

The grant will be used to improve and protect water quality in the Penobscot River and Little Alder Stream. The Penobscot River watershed consists of approximately one-third of the state of Maine.

“EPA is very pleased to provide much-needed funding to help the Penobscot Nation do some very important work that will have a real impact improving water quality and habitat within the Penobscot River,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England regional office.

“Clean water and protection of aquatic habitat is of great importance to the Penobscot Nation,” said Dan Kusnierz, Penobscot Nation’s Water Resources Program Manager. “The Tribe greatly appreciates this commitment from EPA that will enable us to significantly reduce eroding soils and thereby protect the quality of waters on and adjacent to tribal lands.”

The EPA funding will assist the Penobscot Nation to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering the Penobscot River by stabilizing portions of an eroding riverbank and re-establishing nearby vegetation. This portion of the project will also complement ongoing efforts by the Penobscot Indian Nation to restore and improve habitat for migratory fish (including the federally endangered shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic salmon, and 10 other species).

The Tribal government will also use EPA funding to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering Little Alder Stream and its tributaries by installing “best management practices” (BMPs) on an all-terrain vehicle trail system leading to a sensitive high elevation lake with a native brook trout fishery.  Installing BMPs on portions of the trail that are in close proximity to streams leading to Little Alder Stream will help protect water quality in these sensitive waters.

More information:

Non-point source water pollution:  http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatis.cfm

Tribal non-point source grant projects: http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/tribal/index.cfm

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More info on EPA's Environmental Results in New England (http://www.epa.gov/region1/results/index.html)

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Receives $150,000 Grant for Environmental Education

Press release: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Receives $150,000 Grant for Environmental Education (DALLAS – July 20, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) a $150,000 matching grant for environmental education. The grant will help fund programs for several different groups, and allow the LDWF to provide sub-grants for other education projects. The LDWF will use part of the grant to fund Sustainably Yours, a multi-faceted environmental education program tailored for teachers, K-12 students, the general public and outreach professionals. The program’s goals are to highlight sound scientific principles and promote informed environmental decision-making. The EPA grant will also allow the LDWF to provide new sub-grants. The first group of sub-grants will be distributed through the School Sustainability Grants program, which encourages sustainability initiatives on K-12 school campuses. The second group of sub-grants will go to the Sustainability Initiative Project and will be awarded to non-profits, agencies and other groups that work with educators and other segments of the public. The LDWF will also develop a workshop for educators and students about marine debris with the grant. Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html # # #

EPA Provides Major Environmental Education Grant in Puerto Rico

Press release:

EPA Provides Major Environmental Education Grant in Puerto Rico

$70,000 grant awarded to Universidad del Turabo

Contact: Terry Ippolito, 212-637-3671, ippolito.teresa@epa.gov  

(New York, N.Y.) The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant to support an important environmental education project in Puerto Rico. EPA awarded $70,000 to enable the Universidad del Turabo in Gurabo, PR to work with junior high school students and teachers in developing webpages focusing on their local environment.

“EPA is happy to provide $70,000 to support the work of 30 science teachers in Puerto Rico to sharpen their video imaging and web training and develop websites to teach young people and adults how their everyday actions can improve the environment,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator.

Specifics of the grant are as follows:

Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, PR                                                 $70,000

The university’s “Teachers and Community Harboring Environmental Vigilance of the Island Stewardship “ program will engage thirty junior high science teachers in field trips, hands-on experiences, workshops and symposia focusing on critical local environmental issues. The program will then provide the educators with professional development of video imaging skills needed to produce web pages on local environmental issues. The web pages will correlate with the Puerto Rico Department of Education’s Environmental Science Curriculum.

EPA’s local and nationwide educational programs promote environmental stewardship and support excellence in environmental education. Since 1992, EPA has funded over $55 million in environmental education grants to support more than three thousand projects across the country. Agency partnerships, including with the National Environmental Education Foundation and the Environmental Education Training Partnership, have given thousands of formal and non-formal educators the skills and knowledge needed to teach students of all ages about safeguarding the environment.

More information about EPA’s environmental education programs and a link to sign up for future environmental education grant announcements can be found at http://www.epa.gov/education/ 

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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EPA Provides Environmental Education Grant to Township of Woodbridge, NJ

Press release:

EPA Provides Environmental Education Grant to

Township of Woodbridge, NJ

Three High Schools to learn more about the Raritan River 

Contact: Terry Ippolito, 212-637-3671, ippolito.teresa@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – July 17, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $27,800 grant that will support a significant environmental education project in New Jersey. The Township of Woodbridge received a grant to work with high school students in a community based restoration project along the Raritan River.

 “EPA is proud to provide support to the Woodbridge, NJ community in their efforts to educate high school students about the need to clean up the Raritan River,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator.

Specifics of the grant are as follows:

Township of Woodbridge, Woodbridge, NJ             $27,800

The township will conduct the “Woodbridge Township Wetlands Restoration Education Project” involving students and teachers in three high schools. Seminars, field trips and family science nights will focus on the “El Paso site” and other wetland and Brownfields sites along the Raritan River. The project is designed to increase community understanding of the causes of pollution, how to prevent it, and the kinds of stewardship projects and programs that can be implemented.

EPA’s local and nationwide educational programs promote environmental stewardship and support excellence in environmental education. Since 1992, EPA has funded over $55 million in environmental education grants to support more than three thousand projects across the country. Agency partnerships, including with the National Environmental Education Foundation and the Environmental Education Training Partnership, have given thousands of formal and non-formal educators the skills and knowledge needed to teach students of all ages about safeguarding the environment.

More information about EPA’s environmental education programs and a link to sign up for future environmental education grant announcements can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/education/ 

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

 

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EPA Awards Grant to Cleveland Botanical Garden to Use Vacant Lots to Protect Water Quality

Press release:

Media Contact: Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov

For Immediate Release                                                                                No. 12 – OPA053

EPA Awards Grant to Cleveland Botanical Garden to Use Vacant Lots to Protect Water Quality

Chicago (July 12, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $59,680 under its Urban Waters Small Grants program to the Cleveland Botanical Garden to improve vacant land in Cleveland neighborhoods and reduce stormwater runoff to Lake Erie and its tributaries.

“EPA’s Urban Waters program provides grants to protect and improve water quality and revitalize urban areas,” said EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman. “This grant will help to improve water quality in Lake Erie and transform vacant lots in Cleveland neighborhoods.”

The Botanical Garden will cover 12 vacant lots with a mixture of dredge material, wood chips and compost, and plant low-maintenance groundcover. These efforts will improve soil nutrient levels, reduce lead toxicity in soil and reduce stormwater runoff. The deep roots of low-maintenance lawns absorb more water than regular grass and stabilize soil, preventing erosion. The improved appearance of the lots will help stabilize neighborhoods and reduce the city’s maintenance costs associated with mowing and caring for vacant urban land.

“Ultimately, this grant allows us to strengthen Cleveland neighborhoods by taking vacant land and turning it into productive green space that people can enjoy,” said Natalie Ronayne, Executive Director of Cleveland Botanical Garden. “Finding creative ways to use empty urban lots is important for Cleveland and all major cities because it energizes people in communities that have seen so many houses and businesses abandoned. By adding urban farms, gardens and parks, we’re building vibrant, healthier neighborhoods and protecting our precious water resource -- Lake Erie -- at the same time.”

The goal of the Urban Waters program is to fund research, studies, training and demonstration projects that improve water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities. This year, EPA has awarded $2.7 million to 46 organizations in 32 states and Puerto Rico.

In the upper Midwest region, Urban Waters Small Grants were also awarded to:

Friends of the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois, which received $60,000 to increase public understanding and support of the natural value of the Chicago River and open space.

The City of Indianapolis, Indiana, which received $60,000 to promote watershed-friendly practices and encourage land owners and managers to take steps to reduce stormwater runoff.

Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission, Green Bay, Wisconsin, which received $59,995 to conduct water quality monitoring at Bay Beach in Green Bay to identify sources of pollution.

The University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, Wisconsin, which received $59,979 to establish a water quality and biota monitoring program to examine lead in marsh sediment.

More information about EPA’s Urban Waters program is available on EPA’s Website: http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/index.html.

$60,000 Grant to Kansas State University

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

$60,000 Grant to Kansas State University

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov (news media only)

Environmental News

NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY

(Kansas City, Kan., July 11, 2012) - Josh Svaty, EPA Region 7 senior advisor; Barbara Goode, Kansas State University pollution prevention specialist; Martha Tasker, City of Salina, Kan., director of utilities; Troy Vancil, Friends of the River past president, and others will hold a news conference Friday, July 13, to announce a $60,000 urban waters grant from EPA to Kansas State University (KSU).

KSU and partners, including the City of Salina and Friends of the River, will establish a water quality monitoring program to teach residents of Salina about ways to reduce pollutants in the Old Smoky Hill River Channel in Salina. The river channel receives stormwater runoff from approximately five square miles. The educational program will focus on prevention of stream bank erosion and adoption of green infrastructure practices.

The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters Program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve and benefit from urban waters and surrounding land.

Many urban waterways have been polluted for years by runoff from city streets and contamination from abandoned industrial facilities. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, economic, recreational, employment and social opportunities in nearby communities. By promoting public access to urban waterways, EPA will help communities become active participants in restoring urban waters while improving and protecting their neighborhoods.

EPA’s Urban Waters Program supports the goals and principles of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a partnership of 12 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts.

WHAT: Announcement of $60,000 urban waters grant

WHEN: 12:30 p.m., Friday, July 13, 2012

WHERE: Old Smoky Hill River Channel (Oakdale Park at the intersection of Fourth and South Streets, Salina, Kan. 67401)

WHO: Josh Svaty, EPA Region 7 senior advisor; Barbara Goode, Kansas State University pollution prevention specialist; Martha Tasker, City of Salina, Kan., director of utilities; and Troy Vancil, Friends of the River past president

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$181,638 Grant to St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, Mo., for Drinking Water Job Training

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

$181,638 Grant to St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, Mo., for Drinking Water Job Training 

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov (news media only)

Environmental News 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., July 11, 2012) - EPA has awarded $181,638 to St. Louis Community College (STLCC), St. Louis, Mo., for drinking water job training.

EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks said, “From EPA’s standpoint, it is essential that we groom talented and committed young people into drinking water fields in order to meet the need and shortage of experts in this important industry. The certification training is essential to successful job placement in this field.”

The training meets requirements set by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for drinking water treatment certification. The core curriculum focuses on the skills necessary for entry-level jobs at drinking water facilities. It includes sessions on water quality monitoring, green infrastructure, operations, maintenance, mathematics, and drinking water regulations.

EPA oversees the protection of water quality and public health. The responsibility for ensuring safe drinking water is shared by EPA, states, tribes, water systems, and the public.

# # #

$59,876 Grant to University of Nebraska-Lincoln

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

$59,876 Grant to University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., July 10, 2012) - EPA is providing a $59,876 urban waters grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Saddle Hills neighborhood’s green infrastructure in metropolitan Omaha, Neb.

UNL and partners, including the City of Omaha and the Nebraska Forest Service, will assess green infrastructure practices by creating a water quality assessment database and developing a stormwater mobile application for smartphones and mobile devices. The application will allow users, such as local residents, youth, master gardeners and city staff, to learn about ways to reduce stormwater runoff.

“Green infrastructure and stormwater management strategies play a critical role in water quality improvement by reducing runoff that carries multiple contaminants into streams and rivers,” said Karl Brooks, regional administrator. “The project will empower community residents and land owners to look at stormwater as an asset rather than a waste product, and will increase public awareness and grassroots participation through workshops about urban water quality.”

The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters Program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve and benefit from urban waters and surrounding land.

Many urban waterways have been polluted for years by runoff from city streets and contamination from abandoned industrial facilities. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, economic, recreational, employment and social opportunities in nearby communities. By promoting public access to urban waterways, EPA will help communities become active participants in restoring urban waters while improving and protecting their neighborhoods.

EPA’s Urban Waters Program supports the goals and principles of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a partnership of 12 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts.

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