$2.6 Million in Grants Awarded to Improve the Health of Long Island Sound

CONTACTS: 

Mike Smith, w/NFWF, 703-623-3834
John Senn, U.S. EPA Region 1, 617-918-1019, senn.john @epa.gov
Tayler Covington, U.S. EPA Region 2, 212-637-3662, [email protected]

Bridgeport, CT (November 4, 2019) – Today, top federal and state environmental officials from New England and New York announced 35 grants totaling $2.6 million to state and local government and community groups to improve the health and ecosystem of Long Island Sound.

The activities funded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) show how projects led by local groups and communities make a big difference in improving water quality and restoring habitat around the Long Island Sound watershed. This grant program combines funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

“EPA has a longstanding commitment to help protect and restore Long Island Sound, which provides numerous environmental benefits and economic and recreational opportunities,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. “These grants will help reduce impacts on the Sound from sources like stormwater and marine debris, which are priority issues for our agency.” 

“EPA and its federal, state and local partners share great enthusiasm in supporting New Yorkers’ active engagement and stewardship to protect the Long Island Sound,” said EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “These projects provide real long-term results, including improving water quality, preventing pollution, protecting and restoring habitat, wildlife and wetlands, as well as educating the public.”

The LISFF 2019 grants will reach more than 200,000 residents through environmental education programs and conservation projects. Water quality improvement projects will treat 8.2 million gallons of storm water, collect 46,000 pounds of floating trash, install 23,000 square feet of green infrastructure, and prevent 17,000 pounds of nitrogen from entering Long Island Sound. The projects will plan to open 13.5 river miles and restore five acres of riparian habitat for fish and wildlife. The grants are matched by $3.8 million from the grantees themselves resulting in $6.4 million in funding for conservation projects around the Long Island Sound watershed in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

“These significant federal grants totaling $900,000 go to 15 great organizations to preserve and improve our beloved Sound. The purposes are as varied and visible as the needs. The work will be tangible and real: install litter traps and trash skimmers, begin restoration of salt marshes, spur growth of fish and bird populations, and support environmental education,” said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal

“This is great news for Connecticut. These federal grants will go a long way in our efforts to preserving and protecting Long Island Sound, which is central to our state’s economy. I’ll keep working to increase funding for Long Island Sound through my seat on the Appropriations Committee so more deserving projects like these get funded,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.

“The Long Island Sound is deeply important to the economy and ecology of Fairfield County. Conservation of the Long Island Sound is paramount, and these grants will go a long way in protecting its beauty and health,” said U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (CT).  “Our shared hope is that residents of Fairfield County will be able to enjoy it for generations to come.”

One of the greatest environmental challenges facing our nation and its communities is the protection and restoration of highly productive estuaries,” said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF. “The funding awarded today represents the Foundation’s and U.S. EPA’s continuing commitment, as well as the commitment of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and 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 LISFF in 2005 through EPA’s Long Island Sound Office and NFWF. To date, the LISFF has invested $22 million in 451 projects. The program has generated an additional $39 million in grantee match, for a total conservation impact of $62 million for regional and local projects. The projects have reconnected 176 miles of river for fish passage, restored 1,114 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat and open space, treated 212 million gallons of stormwater pollution, and educated and engaged 4.9 million people in protection and restoration of the Sound.                                                                 

“Healthy estuaries, rivers and wetlands fuel surrounding communities that rely on them,” said Wendi Weber, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service North Atlantic-Appalachian Regional Director. “We are pleased to support these efforts that inspire people to be stewards of the natural world and restore free-flowing rivers and resilient marshes. These are investments that will pay off in water quality, recreational opportunities, healthy wildlife populations, and public safety.”

“The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has been pleased with the review of this year’s applications and impressed with the caliber and quality of the projects submitted,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “These projects represent grassroots, on the ground opportunities to improve water quality in the sound, restore tidal wetlands, improve public access and build resiliency to the communities surrounding this important natural resource.”

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “The 2019 Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant awards will support multiple projects that promote clean water and community engagement and education throughout the Long Island Sound watershed. By working together, we can protect this vital ecosystem for generations to come.”

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 grant projects contribute to a healthier Long Island Sound for everyone, from nearby area residents to those at the furthest reaches of the Sound. All 9 million people who live, work and play in the watershed impacting the Sound can benefit from and help build on the progress that has already been made.

About the National Fish and Wildlife FoundationChartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and generated a conservation impact of more than $5.3 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.

About the Long Island Sound Study

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 Long Island Sound Study, visit www.longislandsoundstudy.net.

LONG ISLAND SOUND FUTURES FUND 2019 PROJECTS 

GRANTS IN CONNECTICUT

Green Infrastructure to Improve Water Quality and Coastal Resilience in Bridgeport (CT)

State of Connecticut, Department of Housing

Project Area: Seaside Park neighborhood, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Grant: $250,000
Grantee Matching Funds: $167,000
Total Conservation Impact: $417,000

The project will install green infrastructure in the Seaside Park neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut. It will convey, infiltrate and filter stormwater from a pump station that is part of a coastal flood defense system; improve water quality in Bridgeport Harbor and Long Island Sound by reducing stormwater runoff; and address flooding in the South End of the City.

Green Infrastructure at Webster Street Parking Lot to Improve Water Quality in Norwalk Harbor (CT)

City of Norwalk

Project Location: Webster Street Parking Lot, City of Norwalk, Connecticut
Grant: $250,000
Grantee Matching Funds: $400,000
Total Conservation Impact: $650,000

The project will install green infrastructure as part of the repaving of a 5.4-acre public parking lot in the South Norwalk business district located near the Norwalk Harbor, which drains stormwater into Long Island Sound in Connecticut. It will alleviate local flooding, increase tree canopy and prevent 6,700,000 gallons of stormwater and 12 lbs. of nitrogen annually from flowing into the Sound.

New Strategies to Prevent Litter for a Trash Free Long Island Sound (CT)

Yale University

Project Area: Beaver Ponds Park, New Haven, Connecticut
Grant: $39,949.64
Grantee Matching Funds: $26,667
Total Conservation Impact: $66,616.64

The project will install three types of litter traps and analyze the type and amount of litter in the traps in New Haven, Connecticut. It will identify the best technology to trap litter and pinpoint sources of pollution from surrounding neighborhoods to inform management that better targets and prevents litter into New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.

Deploying a Skimmer in Stamford Harbor for a Trash Free Long Island Sound (CT)

SoundWaters

Project Area: Stamford Harbor, Stamford, Connecticut
Grant: $21,454.42
Grantee Matching Funds: $19,399.52
Total Conservation Impact: $40,853.94

The project will install a marine trash skimmer in Stamford Harbor, Stamford, Connecticut. It will remove 3,190 pounds of floatable marine debris annually from Long Island Sound.

Sliver by the River: Planning for Greening the Pequonnock River on the Bridgeport Waterfront (CT)

Trust for Public Land

Project Location: City of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Grant: $85,112.82
Grantee Matching Funds: $170,000
Total Conservation Impact: $255,112.22

The project will develop an alternatives analysis of the type of green infrastructure to add to the coastal hazard mitigation plan for a three-acre sliver of land along the Pequonnock River, Bridgeport, Connecticut. It will set the stage for improving water quality and enhancing community resilience to storms and floods in an urban coastal community of Long Island Sound.

Coastal Resiliency Action Strategy and Hazard Planning (CT)

The City of Groton

Project Area; City of Groton, Connecticut
Grant: $50,596.49
Grantee Matching Contribution: $33,730.99
Total Conservation Impact: $84,327.48

The project will identify tools for a strategic plan to address vulnerabilities and risks to coastal resilience in Groton, Connecticut. It will provide actions to improve the City’s response to future storms and sea level rise.

Engaging Student Citizen Scientists for Long Island Sound (CT)

Earthplace – The Nature Discovery Center, Inc.

Project Area: Westport and Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Grant: $60,561
Grantee Matching Funds: $45,011
Total Conservation Impact: $105,572

The project will engage 56 student citizen scientists in five experiential learning programs about water quality and Long Island Sound ecology using rivers, harbors, and the Sound as outdoor classrooms, and make public presentations about the research at public events in Fairfield County, Connecticut. It will train students in conservation science and improve public knowledge and understanding of the Sound.

A “Sound” Long Island Sound Education and Field Studies Program for Urban Communities (CT)

Friends of Outer Island, Inc.

Project Area: Outer Island Unit, Stewart B. McKinney, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge, Branford and New Haven, Connecticut
Grant: $5,000
Grantee Matching Funds: $3,885.63
Total Conservation Impact: $8,885.63

The project will deliver a ten-event experiential education series to immerse 385 students, teachers, families, and the public primarily from urban New Haven about environmental challenges faced by Long Island Sound in the footprint of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge island unit offshore of Branford, Connecticut. It will foster knowledge about Long Island Sound water quality, sustainability and coastal resilience among urban audiences.

Engaging Communities in “RiverSmart” Stormwater Management in the Pequabuck River Watershed (CT)

Farmington River Watershed Association

Project Area: The Pequabuck River Watershed of Long Island Sound, Bristol, Connecticut
Grant: $34,560
Grantee Matching Contribution: $29,172
Total Conservation Impact: $63,732

The project will conduct the RiverSmart education program connecting the story of local storm drains to the problem of stormwater pollution into local waterways that feed Long Island Sound. It will install green infrastructure in Bristol Connecticut and educate adults and youth groups about everyday actions people can take to reduce polluted stormwater from inland communities into the Sound.

Healthy Lawns, and Healthy Rivers for a Healthy Long Island Sound (CT)

Niantic River Watershed Committee, Inc.

Project Area: Niantic River Watershed of Long Island Sound, East Lyme and Waterford, Connecticut
Grant: $15,637
Grantee Matching Funds: $17,664
Total Conservation Impact: $33,301

The project will conduct a social marketing program for residents aiming to reduce or eliminate the use of fertilizer on lawns in the Niantic River watershed of Long Island Sound in East Lyme and Waterford, Connecticut. It will prevent 10,000 lbs. of nitrogen from fertilizer flowing into the Niantic River and ultimately Long Island Sound.

Long Island Sound – Stewards in Training (CT)

Sea Research Foundation, Inc.

Project Area: Schools in the following districts: Groton, New London, New Haven, and Norwich, as well as programming in Stonington and Groton, Connecticut
Grant: $9,654.92
Grantee Matching Funds: $8,935.69
Total Conservation Impact: $18,590.61

The project will provide 16 educational programs for middle and high school students and their teachers to expose them to Long Island Sound and STEM career resources, engaging them in hands-on scientific activities and mentorship from working professionals at Mystic Aquarium, Connecticut. It will open pathways for youth to achieve a better understanding of their connection with Long Island Sound and to green careers in the watershed.

Analyzing How to Increase Use of Reusable Bags to Reduce Plastic Pollution into the Sound (CT)

Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment, Inc.

Project Area: Fairfield and New Haven County, Connecticut
Grant: $10,000.10
Grantee Matching Funds: $7,000
Total Conservation Impact: $17,000.10

The project will conduct an analysis in twelve towns to collect qualitative information about use of plastic, paper and reusable bags to determine the most effective ways to promote use of reusable bags in Fairfield and New Haven County, Connecticut. It will provide information about how to reduce the use of plastic bags among consumers and businesses to decrease one source of plastic entering Long Island Sound.

Bringing the Alewife Back to Alewife Cove (CT)

Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound

Project Area: Fenger Brook, Alewife Cove, New London, Connecticut
Grant: $187,282
Grantee Matching Funds: $128,280
Total Conservation Impact: $315,562

The project will remove a barrier to fish passage, educating and engaging the community and students in project implementation and monitoring at Alewife Cove, New London, Connecticut.  It will restore three miles of riverine migratory corridor benefiting alewife, sea lamprey and American eel that migrate between rivers and Long Island Sound. 

Planning for Fish Passage on Beaver Brook (CT)

Town of Sprague

Project Area: Beaver Brook a tributary of the Shetucket River, Sprague, Connecticut
Grant: $48,900
Grantee Matching Funds: $48,499
Total Conservation Impact: $97,399

The project will develop engineered plans to remove barriers to fish passage on Beaver Brook, Sprague, Connecticut.  The designs will address two barriers to fish migration at the mouth of the brook for alewife, blueback Herring, American eel, and sea lamprey along an important migratory riverine corridor of Long Island Sound.

Planning for Fish Passage at Papermill Pond Dam (CT)

Thames Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Project Area: Papermill Pond Dam, Little River, Sprague, Connecticut
Grant: $53,500
Grantee Matching Funds: $63,280
Total Conservation Impact: $116,780

The project will conduct an engineering alternatives analysis, prepare designs, and commence pre-application consultations with federal and state agencies to advance installation of a fishway on the Papermill Pond dam, Sprague, Connecticut. It will set the stage for how to address a large barrier that has obstructed fish migration to Long Island Sound for over 150 years.

Planning for Fish Passage at the Dana Dam (CT)

Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound

Project Area: Dana Dam, Merwin Meadows Park, Wilton, Connecticut
Grant: $75,000
Grantee Matching Fund: $75,000
Total Conservation Impact: $150,000

The project will develop plans to remove one barrier to fish passage on the Norwalk River, Wilton, Connecticut. It will set the stage to restore access to 6.5 miles of migratory riverine corridor for blueback herring, American shad, American eel and sea lamprey to Long Island Sound.  

Planning for Fish Passage at the Highland Pond Dam (CT)

The Middlesex Land Trust, Inc.

Project Area: Sawmill Brook at tributary of the Mattabesset River, Middletown, Connecticut
Grant: $51,390
Grantee Matching Funds: $51,000
Total Conservation Impact: $102,390

The project will develop a design to remove one barrier to fish passage on the Sawmill Brook in Middletown, Connecticut. It will set the stage to restore access to one mile of spawning and nursery habitat along a migratory riverine corridor for alewife, blueback herring, American eel and sea lamprey to Long Island Sound.  

Planning for Fish-Friendly and Flood Resilient Road-Stream Crossings in the Naugatuck Valley (CT)

Housatonic Valley Association, Inc.

Project Area: Naugatuck River Valley, Watertown, Beacon Falls and Naugatuck in subwatersheds of Wooster Brook, Steele Brook, Fulling Mill Brook, Beacon Hill Brook, and Hockanum Brook, Connecticut
Grant: $$67,097.56
Grantee Matching Funds: $45,750
Total Conservation Impact:  $112,847.56

The project will create road stream-crossing management plans for three towns with historic runs of diadromous fish in the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut.  It will be officially adopted by each community as part of natural hazard mitigation planning and serve as a tool for securing support and financing for future road-stream crossing replacement projects.

Creating Thriving Habitats for the Shorebirds of Long Island Sound (CT)

Connecticut Audubon Society

Project Area:  Long Island Sound Coastline of Connecticut
Grant: $75,000
Grantee Matching Contribution: $50,010
Total Conservation Impact: $125,010

The project will provide education and deliver targeted stewardship of American oystercatcher and other migratory shorebirds and habitat along the Long Island Sound coastline of Connecticut.  It will increase public awareness about the value of sharing the shore with birds among recreational users and reduce disturbance to the birds’ breeding and roosting sites.

GRANTS IN BOTH CONNECTICUT AND NEW YORK

Coastal Habitat Restoration Planning for Salt Marsh & Nesting Birds in Long Island Sound (CT, NY)

National Audubon Society, Inc. (Audubon Connecticut and New York)

Project Area:  Long Island Sound coastlines of Connecticut and New York
Grant: $50,497.85
Grantee Matching Contribution: $50,546
Total Conservation Impact: $101,043.85

The project will assess and identify priority high salt marsh restoration sites along the coast of Long Island Sound in Connecticut and New York. It will set the stage to restore salt marsh that buffers coastal communities from storms and provides habitat for nesting bird species such as salt marsh sparrow through effective coastal management planning.

Delivery of the Septic Improvement Program in Long Island Sound Watershed Communities (CT, NY)

The Nature Conservancy (New York and Connecticut)

Project Area: Long Island Sound Watershed of Suffolk County, and Nassau and Westchester Counties, New York and Connecticut
Grant: $175,000
Grantee Matching Fund: $118,562
Total Conservation Impact:  $293,562

The project will support delivery of the Septic Improvement Program by engaging and assisting homeowners with all elements of the program to foster installation of modern on-site septic systems in Suffolk County; The project will share lessons learned with Nassau and Westchester Counties in New York and with one local government in Connecticut. It will expedite the installation of 40 advanced septic systems reducing nitrogen loads into Long Island Sound by 1,000 lbs. annually.

GRANTS IN NEW YORK

A Green New York City Playground for Public School 296Q and the Elmhurst Community (NY)

Trust for Public Land

Project Area: Public School 296Q, Elmhurst, Queens, New York
Grant: $191,755.39
Matching Funds from Grantee: $1,400,000
Total Conservation Impact: $1,591,755.39

The project will deploy green infrastructure on a school playground at Public School 296Q in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. It will enhance outdoor recreational green space and capture 1.5 million gallons of stormwater annually before it flows into Flushing Bay and Long Island Sound.

Developing a Management Plan for a Subwatershed of Long Island Sound in Westchester County (NY)

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission

Project Area: Westchester County and Larchmont, Mamaroneck Town and Village, New Rochelle, Pelham, and Pelham Manor in the subwatershed of Pine, Stephenson and Burling Brooks and Larchmont Harbor
Grant: $100,000
Grantee Matching Funds: $67,000
Total Conservation Impact: $167,000

The project will update the Pine, Stephenson and Burling brooks and Larchmont Harbor sub-watershed management plan in Westchester County, New York. It will ensure that the causes and sources of nonpoint source pollution are identified, key stakeholders are involved in the planning, and restoration and protection strategies are identified that address local and Long Island Sound water quality problems.

Oyster Planting to Improve Water Quality in Long Island Sound (NY)

Town of Brookhaven

Project Area: Port Jefferson Harbor, New York
Grant: $92,473.56
Grantee Matching Funds: $102,000
Total Conservation Impact: $194,473.56

The project will plant 200,000 American oysters to assess their potential to remove nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon pollution from waters and repopulate a historic fishery in Port Jefferson Harbor, New York.  Biofiltration by the oysters will remove 130 lbs. of nitrogen annually from a harbor of Long Island Sound.

Bioextraction of “Gold Coast” Kelp in the Oyster Bay Complex (NY)

Adelphi University

Project Area: Oyster Bay Complex: Town of Oyster Bay Marina, Laurel Hollow and West Harbor Beach, and Bayville, New York
Grant: $103,917.63
Grantee Matching Funds: $73,727
Total Conservation Impact:  $177,644.73

The project will analyze growth of and the potential for bioextraction of pollution by sugar kelp in Long Island’s Gold Coast in the Oyster Bay Complex, New York. It aims to maximize the growth of kelp as a natural systems approach to bioextract pollution and enhance the marine environment in Long Island Sound and its harbors and embayments.

Hempstead Harbor 2020 Water Quality Monitoring Program-XII (NY)

The Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff/ Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee

Project Area: Outer and Inner Hempstead Harbor, Tappen Marina, and Glen Cove Creek, Nassau, County, New York
Grant: $75,000
Grantee Matching Funds: $58,572
Total Conservation Impact: $133,572

The project will conduct water quality monitoring in Hempstead Harbor, Nassau County, New York. It will inform management of Hempstead Harbor, an embayment of Long Island Sound.

Enhancing Community Education and Stewardship in Flushing Bay (NY)

Guardians of Flushing Bay

Project Area: Flushing Bay tidal embayment of Long Island Sound, Queens, New York
Grant: $48,250
Grantee Matching Fund: $41,425
Total Conservation Impact: $89,675

The project will construct a living dock and develop the Flushing Waterways Stewardship Kit in Flushing Bay and Creek, Queens, New York. It will engage environmental stewardship of Flushing Bay an urban tidal embayment of Long Island Sound.  

Green Infrastructure and Coastal Resilience Planning in Long Island Sound Coastal Communities (NY)

Pace University

Project Area: Long Island Sound Coastal Communities, Westchester County, New York
Grant: $46,521
Grantee Matching Funds: $34,626.93
Total Conservation Impact: $80,877.93

The project will deliver a leadership education program for municipal officials focused on local land use planning to encourage the use of a combination of green infrastructure and coastal resilience practices in Westchester County, New York. It will integrate innovative planning that provides the co-benefit of improving local water quality and enhancing community resilience to storms, floods and sea level rise.

Sound Effects: A Public Conservation Education Program–II (NY)

The Whaling Museum Society, Inc.

Project Area: Cold Spring Harbor, New York
Grant: $9,864.94
Grantee Matching Funds: $5,050
Total Conservation Impact: $14,914.94

The project will design and host a public education series for 300 adults, families and elementary school students with hands-on learning and conservation activities in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. It will foster appreciation of Long Island Sound among a diverse range of people who will gain a stronger understanding of their impact on and need for stewardship of the Sound.

Long Island Sound’s Fresh Pond Festival (NY)

Salonga Wetland Advocates Network, Inc.

Project Area: Fresh Pond, Smithtown Bay, and Long Island Sound, Fort Salonga, New York
Grant: $5,700
Grantee Matching Funds: $3,800
Total Conservation Impact: $9,500

The project will conduct a festival and shoreline cleanup in Fort Salonga, New York.  The event and hands-on cleanup will increase public awareness of and commitment to restoration and protection of the environment of Long Island Sound.

Students Working On-the-Water to Restore Tidal Wetlands along the Bronx River (NY)

Rocking the Boat

Project Area: Hunts Point Riverside Park, Story Avenue, Soundview and other sites in the Lower Bronx River, Bronx, New York
Grant Funds: $37,274.41
Grantee Matching Funds: $35,318.83
Total Conservation Impact: $72,593.24

The project will engage students to enhance nearby tidal wetlands including activities on the water in wooden boats constructed by them at the Rocking the Boat facility. It will educate community members of all ages about the ecological value of this natural habitat to the Bronx River and Long Island Sound in Hunts Point, New York and help develop an awareness of natural resources along a highly urbanized river and foster a community of local environmental stewards.

Restoring Native Plants to the Bronx River (NY)

Bronx River Alliance

Project Area: Bronx Park, Shoelace Park, Soundview Park, Muskrat Cove Lower Bronx River, New York
Grant Funds: $76,725
Grantee Matching Fund: $76,725
Total Conservation Impact: $153,450

The project will address the challenge of invasive plants and replant native plants, engaging volunteers from a newly created Riparian Invasive Plant Patrol (RIP) along the shoreline of the lower Bronx River, Bronx, New York. It will restore healthy, functioning riparian habitat along a river that feeds Long Island Sound.

GRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Upgrading the South Hadley Wastewater Treatment Plant Decreasing Nitrogen into Long Island Sound (MA)

Town of South Hadley

Project Area: South Hadley Wastewater Treatment Facility, Chicopee, Massachusetts
Grant: $132,600
Grantee Matching Funds: $88,400
Total Conservation Impact: $221,000

The project will upgrade sensors and systems at the wastewater treatment plant in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The equipment and system enhancements will provide the most up-to-date and accurate monitoring and management of dissolved oxygen and nitrogen levels at the plant and decrease nitrogen discharge to Long Island Sound.

GRANTS IN VERMONT

Deploying a Nutrient Reclamation Project in the Long Island Sound Watershed-II (VT)

The Rich Earth Institute

Project Area: Windham County and adjacent counties in the Upper Basin of the Connecticut River, Long Island Sound Watershed, Vermont
Grant: $80,000
Grantee Matching Funds: $184,750
Total Conservation Impact: $264,750

The project will deploy innovative nutrient reclamation technology in Windham County and adjacent counties in Vermont. It will divert 1,050 lbs. of nitrogen annually from entering the Connecticut River and ultimately Long Island Sound.

Advancing Deployment of the Nutrient Reclamation Project in the Long Island Sound Watershed-II (VT)

The Rich Earth Institute

Project Area: Windham County, Upper Basin of the Connecticut River, Long Island Sound Watershed, Vermont
Grant: $43,890
Grantee Matching Funds: $31,250
Total Conservation Impact: $75,140

The project will identify new sites to install innovative nutrient reclamation and recycling technology in Windham County, Vermont. The planning will expand the number of sites committing to install a technology designed to reduce nitrogen entering the Connecticut River and ultimately Long Island Sound.

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