EPA to Assist Water Utility in Auburn Ala. to Bolster Climate Resilience and Readiness

From EPA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 19, 2014
EPA to Assist Water Utility in Auburn Ala. to Bolster Climate Resilience and Readiness

Contact Information: Dawn Harris Young, EPA, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main), harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing up to $600,000 in training and technical assistance to help water utilities in more than 20 communities, including Auburn Ala., bolster their climate change resilience and readiness.

 “Climate change isn’t a distant threat – it is already impacting communities across the country,” said Ken Kopocis, deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "EPA is helping water utilities plan for and adapt to these challenges to ensure that they can continue to meet their public health and environmental missions no matter what circumstances may arise in the future.”

Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater utilities will participate in a multi-year program to prepare for potential impacts from climate change. Challenges include droughts, more intense and frequent storms, flooding, sea-level rise and changes to water quality. Communities will receive technical assistance in using EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool, software that helps users identify assets, threats and adaptation options to help reduce risk from climate change.

Communities receiving assistance from EPA include:
• Auburn, Ala.
• Austin, Texas
• Blair, Neb.
• Bozeman, Mont.
• Faribault, Minn.
• Fredericktown, Mo.
• Haworth, N.J.
• Helena, Mont.
• Henryville, Ind.
• Hillsboro, Kan.
• Houston, Texas
• Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.
• Nome, Alaska
• Norfolk, Va.
• Portsmouth, N.H.
• Redwood Valley, Calif.
• Sandpoint, Idaho
• Seminole Tribe of Florida, Fla.     
During each risk assessment, utilities will consider potential future climate change impacts in an effort to build more climate-ready and resilient water services and infrastructure.
Such risk assessments will, for instance, help utilities:
•  use adaptation options to better protect critical pump stations from projected precipitation events;
•  use conservation measures to prepare for projected reduced snowpack or less-frequent rainfall events;      
These examples illustrate the variety of adaptation options utilities can identify and build into planning based on their risk assessments.

More information: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/index.cfm
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4

And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast

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EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Gas Permit for $1 Billion Jumbo Project in Corpus Christi

From EPA:

EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Gas Permit for $1 Billion Jumbo Project in Corpus Christi

Facility will bring almost 4,000 jobs to Corpus Christi area

DALLAS – (Nov. 19, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued two final greenhouse gas (GHG) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) construction permits to M&G Resins USA L.L.C., to build a new chemical process plant and utility support facility. The facility will be located in Corpus Christi, Texas.   

“EPA will continue working with companies to ensure they have the permits they need,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “We are working to help Texas businesses take advantage of growth opportunities while building greener facilities with better controls for greenhouse gas emissions.”

M&G Resins plans to build a new polyethylene terephthalate resin manufacturing complex along with a collocated combined support system for heat and power utility generation. The support system will be used for steam and electrical demands. The project will emit up to 1,178,441 tons of CO2 annually.

The additions will bring over $1 billion in capital investments, create 3000 construction jobs, 250 long-term operations jobs and 700 support positions in the local area.

In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specify that beginning on Jan. 2, 2011, projects that substantially increase GHG emissions require an air permit. 

EPA believes states are best equipped to run GHG air permitting programs. EPA will continue to work closely with applicants who have pending permits retained by EPA at their request. This action will increase efficiency and allow industry to continue to grow in Texas. 

Since January 2, 2011, projects in Texas that substantially increase GHG emissions required an air permit from the EPA. In Texas alone, EPA has received 85 GHG permit applications from businesses since 2011.  Texas is No. 1 in the country for receiving EPA-issued GHG permits – with over 58 permits being issued by EPA. Of the 191 GHG permits issued nationwide, EPA has completed 63 and the states have issued 128 permits.

EPA Recognizes City of Houston for Reduction in Energy Consumption

From EPA:

EPA Recognizes City of Houston for Reduction in Energy Consumption

                                          

DALLAS – (Nov. 19, 2014) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing the City of Houston for its use of green power practices and technologies. Houston signed a two-year agreement to purchase more than 620 million kilowatt-hours of certified renewable energy certificates from wind projects. This purchase will account for half of the city's municipal power needs and make Houston the largest municipal purchaser of renewable power in the Green Power Partnership.

 “Houston has advanced the nation’s renewable energy market and reduced greenhouse gas emissions with its endeavors in sustainability management,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “We are pleased to honor them as they consistently support our mission to protect the future of our nation’s energy usage.”

Green power is electricity that is generated from renewable sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and low-impact hydroelectric sources. Green power does not produce fossil fuel-based greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2014 Green Power Leadership Awards will be presented on Dec. 3 at the annual Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Sacramento, Calif., to City of Houston and 18 other winners.

The award winners are recognized for their efforts in expanding the domestic renewable energy market—from using enough green power to meet more than 100 percent of electricity needs to installing solar arrays on-site or entering long-term power purchase agreements—these organizations are demonstrating that green power is both accessible and affordable.

EPA, through the Green Power Partnership, works with partner organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,300 partner organizations voluntarily using billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities.

More on the 2014 Green Power Leadership award winners:http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htm

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm 

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Decrease Wildfire Risks by Choosing the Right Plants

From the USDA:

Posted by Ciji Taylor, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on November 21, 2014 at 11:04 AM

A grass fire burns across eastern Washington.

Land begins to recover one year after emergency reseeding following the Los Alamos fires in New Mexico. Some of the species planted for erosion control and habitat improvement were prairie junegrass, slender wheatgrass, mountain brome, three awn, gambel's oak and mountain mahogany.

Traveling at speeds up to 14 mph, wildfires can quickly ravish landscapes and homesteads. Experts with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, (NRCS) are studying what plants can slow fire rather than fuel it. 

NRCS’ Plant Materials Centers evaluate and study plants, including those that can reduce fire damage or losses, helping keep people, property and natural resources safe. These centers, located across the United States, can provide information on the type plant best suited for an area given factors such as geography and climate.

“All plants burn, but using the right management and plant materials gives you a better chance of lessening damage,” said Jim Jacobs, NRCS plant materials specialist for Montana and Wyoming. 

“Weather, topography and fuels dictate fire behavior,” Jacobs said. “A landowner can only control the type and amount of plant fuels, so the focus should be on managing what you can manage.” 

A perimeter or firebreak of about 30 feet should be created around homes and other buildings. This area can be created by planting low-stature grasses or perennial herbaceous plants and shrubs. Plants in the 30-foot area should be kept green, since green plants don’t burn as hot and can buffer buildings from the heat’s intensity. Plant maintenance is an important preventive step.  Pruning trees and shrubs, mowing, and keeping dead material out of the perimeter will decrease fuel load around structures. 

If planting trees, they should be planted far enough away that their canopy doesn’t grow within 10 feet of a building. Trees that hold more moisture are better than trees containing resin, such as pines, because they won’t burn as fast or as hot. Trees can also help block heat, slow wind and intercept embers, which are the main causes of structural fires and costliest part of wildfires.

In shelterbelts and wind breaks, farmers and ranchers should work to reduce what’s known as ladder fuels or plants that enable fire to climb from the ground into canopies. Keeping fires out of tree canopies helps reduce the number of embers in the air.

“Wildfires race across fields, so farmers and ranchers don’t have time to react,” Jacobs said. “At that point, it’s left to the preparation and management of your plant materials to help protect you and your structures.”

On wild lands, low- and moderate-intensity ground fires actually help forests by rejuvenating understory growth. But high-intensity fires can kill the entire plant leaving the soil bare, which increases the chances of erosion and flash flooding. In order to stabilize the soil and provide food and shelter for wildlife, landowners should reseed with grasses that establish quickly.

The Plant Materials Center in Aberdeen, Idaho is supporting post-fire reseeding management by providing foundation seeds to the commercial seed industry. These foundation seeds come from plants that are evaluated to ensure establishment and performance under specific conditions, such as post fire. 

“Firefighters aren’t our only defense to fires. Simply by using the right plants and management, we’re dispatching another type of preventive firefighter,” Jacobs said. 

Several guides and resources on planning homes and landscapes are available on the NRCS website and your local NRCS field office.

Belted Kingfisher

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region:

Even though they could stay put for the winter, these birds like to travel as far away as the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii and the British Isles!

Photo: Belted kingfisher courtesy of Thomas Heatley.

OSU Fights Climate Change and Becomes Green Power Partner of the Year

From EPA:

OSU Fights Climate Change and Becomes Green Power Partner of the Year

                                       

DALLAS – (Nov. 19, 2014) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing Oklahoma State University (OSU) for its use of green power practices and technologies. The Stillwater, Okla. campus has advanced the use of renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, taking direct action on climate change.

“OSU leads the way for institutions nationwide by its use of green power practices and technologies,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “We are pleased to honor them while they have consistently support our mission to protect the future of our nation’s energy usage.”

Green power is electricity that is generated from renewable sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact hydroelectric sources. Green power does not produce fossil fuel-based greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2014 Green Power Leadership Awards will be presented on Dec. 3 at the annual Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Sacramento, Calif., to OSU and 18 other winners. OSU is one of four winners in EPA’s national competition for Green Power Partners of the Year award. 

The award winners are recognized for their efforts in expanding the domestic renewable energy market—from using enough green power to meet more than 100 percent of electricity needs to installing solar arrays on-site or entering long-term power purchase agreements—these organizations are demonstrating that green power is both accessible and affordable.

EPA, through the Green Power Partnership, works with partner organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,300 partner organizations voluntarily using billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities.

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm 

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$1.3 Million Awarded for Community-Based Projects to Improve Health of Long Island Sound

From EPA:

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 19, 2014

CONTACTS:  John Martin, EPA Reg. 2, 212-637-3662; Dave Deegan, EPA Reg. 1, 617-918-1017; Mike Smith, NFWF, 703-623-3834;

        $1.3 Million Awarded for Community-Based Projects to Improve Health of Long Island Sound

PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y. - Top federal and state environmental officials today announced 22 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to local government and community groups in Connecticut and New York to improve the health of Long Island Sound. The projects, which are funded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, will open up 12.4 miles of river for passage of native fish and restore 80 acres of coastal habitat, including intertidal marsh, coastal forest, grasslands and freshwater wetlands. More than 70,000 citizens will be reached by environmental and conservation programs supported by the grants. Nearly 2.9 million gallons of water pollution will be treated through the delivery of water quality improvement projects. The grants will be leveraged by $1.4 million from the grantees themselves, resulting in $2.7 million in funding for on-the-ground, hands-on conservation projects in both states.

This public-private grant program pools funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) the Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative and the Dissolved Oxygen Environmental Benefit Fund – the result of a New York and Connecticut legal settlement.

“Protecting and restoring Long Island Sound has long been a priority for the EPA," said EPA Region 2, Director, Clean Water Division, Joan Leary Matthews. "These grants will support vital and diverse projects throughout the region. These efforts will help improve water quality and remove pollution from the Long Island Sound watershed and involve the public in the protection of one of the nation's most important natural treasures."

"From restoring habitat to reducing pollution to promoting public awareness, these grants will help make tangible improvements in the health of Long Island Sound. In addition, the grants ensure the continued involvement of all the community groups and local governments that are so crucial to the state and federal governments' efforts here,” stated EPA New England, Regional Administrator, Curt Spalding.

“One of the greatest environmental challenges facing our nation and its communities is the protection and restoration of highly productive estuaries,” said National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Vice President, Conservation Programs, David O'Neill. “The funding awarded today represents the Foundation’s and U.S. EPA’s continuing commitment, as well as the commitment of other federal and state partners, to restoration efforts aimed at improving the overall health of Long Island Sound.”

The Long Island Sound Study initiated the Long Island Sound Futures Fund in 2005 through the EPA’s Long Island Sound Office and NFWF. To date, the program has invested $13 million in 306 projects in communities surrounding the sound. With grantee match of $25 million, the Long Island Sound Futures Fund has generated a total of almost $38 million for locally based conservation in both states.

"We are pleased to support our conservation partners through this collaborative funding effort," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Regional Director, Wendi Weber. "This year, funded projects will help youth become stewards of the outdoors and introduce them to wildlife in their schoolyards. Additionally, work will help restore the health of our rivers, coastal marshes, forests and grasslands for the benefit of fish, wildlife and coastal communities."

“The Long Island Sound Futures Fund continues to fund valuable projects to restore habitats, improve water quality, and promote public awareness throughout the Sound’s Watershed,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Commissioner, Joe Martens. “In addition, these on the ground projects ensure continued involvement and partnerships on the local, state, and federal level to help protect and restore Long Island Sound. NYSDEC is proud to support the Futures Fund and congratulates all of this year’s applicants.”

“Connecticut DEEP is honored to be a partner in the Long Island Sound Study, and to work with our neighbors in New York as well as the EPA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA to preserve and protect Long Island Sound as one of our most valuable natural resources,” said Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Commissioner, Robert Klee.  “This year $849,938 in Long Island Sound Futures Funds grants will support Connecticut projects that ensure protection and preservation of this valuable estuary, one of the most important and valuable estuaries in the nation.  We are pleased that these grants leveraged over three quarter million dollars in local and private funding to support fourteen Connecticut projects valued at nearly $1.6 M.”  “ These projects will build on our efforts to protect and improve the health of Long Island Sound by fostering improved water quality, habitat restoration, coastal stewardship and open space preservation, and also watershed based planning, public awareness and education.”

Long Island Sound is an estuary that provides economic and recreational benefits to millions of people while also providing habitat for more than 1,200 invertebrates, 170 species of fish, and dozens of species of migratory birds. The Long Island Sound Study, developed under the EPA’s National Estuary Program, is a cooperative effort between the EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York to protect and restore the sound and its ecosystem. To learn more about the LISS, visit www.longislandsoundstudy.net. For full descriptions of the Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grants, visithttp://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/grants/lis-futures-fund/.

"The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative is delighted to provide joint funds toward the ecosystem report card project, an innovative tool to be used by communities to foster management and sustainability of the health and living resources of the Sound," said Long Island Community Foundation and member of the Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative, Executive Director, David M. Okorn.

“We hope that our pooled funding toward development of a Long Island Sound Report Card will offer communities around the sound a tool to educate people about the value of the sound and influence future priorities, policies and action to benefit it,” said Jeniam Foundation, Executive Director and member of the Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative, Hugh Killen III.

Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation protects and restores the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 4,000 organizations and committed more than $2.3 billion to conservation projects. Learn more atwww.nfwf.org.

ONE LONG ISLAND SOUND FUTURES FUND GRANT 2014 – BENEFITTING BOTH STATES

WATER QUALITY PROJECTS – NY & CT

Building the Long Island Sound Report
Recipient: The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Grant Amount (EPA, LIS Funders Collaborative): $99,156
Recipient Match Contribution: $34,809
Project Area: Long Island Sound Watershed, NY and CT
Description: Build capacity to sustain ecosystem health report cards in the Long Island Sound watershed in New York and Connecticut.

EIGHT LONG ISLAND SOUND FUTURES FUND GRANTS 2014 – NEW YORK

HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS

Tackling Mile-a-Minute Invasive Plant at Pelham Bay Park
Recipient: New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS): $150,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $150,000
Project Area: Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY
Description: Tackle control of mile-a-minute an invasive plant on 60 acres of coastal forest and grassland.

Coastal Habitat Restoration Planning at Alley Pond Park
Recipient: City Parks Foundation
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS, Legal Settlement): $60,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $118,000
Project Area: Alley Pond Watershed and Alley Pond Park, Queens, NY
Description: Produce three restoration plans for up to 23 acres of tidal wetland and coastal forest.

WATER QUALITY PROJECTS

Conservation Practices to Improve Farm Soil and Water Quality
Recipient: American Farmland Trust
Grant Amount (EPA): $86,892
Recipient Match Contribution: $211,293
Project Area: Long Island Sound Watershed, Suffolk County, NY
Description: Work with 10 farm operators to adopt soil health and advanced nutrient management practices to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use by 20% on 15 acres of vegetable farms.

Developing Innovative Residential Sewage Treatment Alternatives to Improve Water Quality
Recipient: Peconic Green Growth, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA): $60,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $46,640
Project Area: Orient, Town of Southold, NY
Description: Plan for innovative clustered decentralized wastewater (sewage) treatment for approximately 354 homes aimed at reducing nitrogen loading into the aquifer and surface waters of Long Island Sound by 50% to 90%.

EDUCATE AND INVOLVE THE PUBLIC

Promoting Toxin Free Lawns to Improve Water Quality
Recipient: Azuero Earth Project DBA Perfect Earth Project
Grant Amount (EPA): $32,788
Recipient Match Contribution: $33,269
Project Area: Towns of Riverhead and Southold, NY
Description: Design and deliver a toxin-free lawn care program with education for homeowners and landscapers and measure chemical reductions on 75 acres of lawn.

Bronx River Floatable Pollution Cleanup and Education
Recipient: Bronx River Alliance, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA): $9,999
Recipient Match Contribution: $16,820
Project Area: Bronx River, Bronx, NY
Description: Address the issue of floatable pollution entering Long Island Sound from the Bronx River by collecting 14,200 pounds of floatables in paddle and pick-up days.

National Estuary Day Celebration at Alley Pond Park
Recipient: Alley Pond Environmental Center
Grant Amount (EPA): $9,052
Recipient Match Contribution:  $5,000
Project Area: Alley Pond Watershed and Park, Queens, NY
Description: Conduct a National Estuary Day event for 250 people with exhibits and on-water activities, a cleanup to reduce litter into Long Island Sound.

CITIZEN SCIENCE: WATER QUALITY MONITORING

Hempstead Harbor 2014 Water Quality Monitoring Program
Recipient: Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff, New York
Grant Amount (EPA): $55,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $75,843
Project Area: Hempstead Harbor, NY
Description: Conduct water quality monitoring of 14 physical chemical, and biological indicators of pollution in outer and inner Hempstead Harbor.

THIRTEEN LONG ISLAND SOUND FUTURES FUND GRANTS 2014 – CONNECTICUT

HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS

Ed Bills Fish Passage and Floodplain Restoration
Recipient: The Nature Conservancy
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS): $150,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $53,213
Project Area: East Branch, Eightmile River, Lyme, CT
Description: Open up 8.3 river miles, restore 6 acres of floodplain and wetlands and 1/2 mile of riparian habitat.

Hyde Pond Fish Passage and Riparian Restoration
Recipient:  Connecticut Fund for the Environment
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS): $149,999
Recipient Match Contribution:  $37,500
Project Area: Whitford Brook, Mystic River, Old Mystic, CT
Description: Open up 4.1 stream miles and restore 8 acres of riparian habitat for native fish.

Wetland and Coastal Grassland Restoration at Dodge Paddock and Beal Reserve
Recipient: Sea Research Foundation, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS): $45,316
Recipient Match Contribution: $98,762
Project Area:  Dodge Paddock and Beal Preserve, Stonington, CT
Description: Restore 1 acre of freshwater wetland and salt marsh, and .6 acres of dune/grassland.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECTS

Bird and Beach Stewardship by a Youth Conservation Corps
Recipient: National Audubon Society, Inc. (Audubon Connecticut)  
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS): $41,159
Recipient Match Contribution: $56,138
Project Area: Pleasure Beach, Bridgeport, CT
Description: Deploy 10 students to encourage the 3,300 members of the public to share 63 acres of shoreline with beach-nesting birds.

WATER QUALITY PROJECTS

Implementing Green Infrastructure to Manage Stormwater in New Haven
Recipient: New Haven Urban Resources Initiative
Grant Amount (EPA, Legal Settlement): $149,971
Recipient Match Contribution: $264,748
Project Area: West River Watershed, New Haven, CT
Description: Install eight bioretention swales and a 1,000 square foot rain garden treating 2,810,000 gallons of stormwater and providing five acres of habitat for wildlife.

Demonstrating Green Infrastructure to Manage Stormwater at Two Connecticut Colleges
Recipient: Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA): $51,307
Recipient Match Contribution: $16,000
Project Area: Three Rivers Community College, Norwich, CT and Naugatuck Valley Community College, Waterbury, CT
Description: Install green infrastructure projects (raingardens etc.) to capture, store and treat 181,518 gallons of stormwater annually.

EDUCATE AND INVOLVE THE PUBLIC PROJECTS

Creating Schoolyard Habitat for Native Birds
Recipient: National Audubon Society, Inc. (Audubon Connecticut)
Grant Amount (EPA, FWS): $34,999
Recipient Match Contribution: $62,474
Project Area: Stamford, New Haven, and Greenwich, CT
Description: Create three new and eight enhanced Schoolyard Habitats at nine public schools to enhance upland habitat and serve as outdoor classrooms to raise awareness about the Sound.

Long Island Sound Environmental Leaders in Training
Recipient: Solar Youth, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA): $35,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $37,500
Project Area: Westville Manor, West Hills and Newhallville neighborhoods, New Haven, CT
Description: Deliver a Long Island Sound-themed program called Leaders-in-Training for 10 7th and 8th graders focused on preserving and protecting the estuary.

Invaders: They come by Land, Sea and Air
Recipient: Connecticut River Museum  
Grant Amount (EPA): $34,993
Recipient Match Contribution: $43,351
Project Area: Essex, CT, and Long Island Sound Coastal Communities, CT
Description: Deliver education with a museum exhibit and discovery lab, and conduct hikes and paddles about invasive species degrading the Sound to 14,000 people.  

Long Island Sound Stormwater/Environmental Outdoor Classroom
Recipient: Town of East Lyme
Grant Amount (EPA): $4,546
Recipient Match Contribution: $10,063
Project Area: Town of East Lyme, CT
Description: Offer educational field trips for 200 third graders in 10 classes about methods to treat and reduce stormwater flow into the Sound.

Don’t Flush your Drugs in the Sound
Recipient: Citizens Campaign for the Environment  
Grant Amount (EPA): $10,000
Recipient Match Contribution: $7,590
Project Area: Bridgeport, CT
Description: Educate residents about the negative environmental impact of flushing unused drugs into the Sound.

Eco Splash Event! Celebrating Long Island Sound
Recipient: Sea Research Foundation, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA): $8,982
Recipient Match Contribution: $9,023
Project Area: Mystic, CT
Description: A weeklong environmental awareness event on Long Island Sound and its natural resources for up approximately 30,000 participants.

CITIZEN SCIENCE - WATER QUALITY MONITORING

Hands-on Student Water Quality Monitoring to Solve Pollution Problems
Recipient: Earthplace – The Nature Discovery Center, Inc.
Grant Amount (EPA): $34,149
Recipient Match Contribution: $19,460
Project Area: Waterbodies in the geography of Monroe to Darien to Ridgefield, CT
Description: Deliver three hands-on environmental quality monitoring and education programs teaching 35 high school students from 10 schools.

More information:  http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net

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