BOSTON (Oct. 6, 2023) – Rhode Island communities will get $4.6 million in new funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency to help protect the area's coastal waters and watersheds. Communities throughout the state will also get added technical assistance and partnerships with local organizations working for clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems in Southeast New England.
More than $2 million of this new funding is provided to the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) under two separate SNEP funding sources: President Biden's November 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which is providing funds for projects across the country to improve climate resiliency and address infrastructure upgrades; and through annual Congressional appropriations to SNEP.
"Rhode Island's senior elected officials continue to do a fantastic job crafting great solutions for the challenges facing our coastal waters – and this funding is a result of their hard work and creativity," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "These projects announced today will advance EPA's and the Ocean State's commitment to investing in underserved communities. With this funding, we are quickly developing a strong network of partners working to restore southeastern New England's coast and support our coastal communities."
"I helped create the Southeast New England Program to strengthen our ecosystems and deliver cleaner water to Rhode Islanders. The worsening effects of climate change require strong investments in our coastal communities, and I'm proud to celebrate this $4.6 million to continue the tremendous work of local partners who are improving resiliency and bolstering infrastructure to protect our communities for years to come," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.
"This federal funding will help protect and restore coastal environments across the Ocean State from climate-related threats," said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. "I want to thank Senator Reed for his continued efforts to ensure the success of the Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration."
"Clean water is vital for the health of Rhode Island's communities and the coastal ecosystems we depend on," U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner. "I'm proud to announce $4.6 million in federal funding is coming to our state to ensure clean water by upgrading water infrastructure, supporting habitat restoration projects, and reducing pollutants entering waterways."
The projects announced today are funded by the new infrastructure law and given as part of the watershed grants in EPA's Southeast New England Program. EPA is also announcing funding to the U.S. Geological Survey via an interagency agreement and an award to the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. Finally, it announced direct technical assistance provided to two towns in Rhode Island.
The projects being funded by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grants are:
- Glocester, R.I. - $465,000 – This grant and a $100,000 match will pay for the town to develop a decentralized wastewater management entity and create financial incentives for septic wastewater upgrades in Chepachet Village. This will be paired with installation of innovative, alternative (I/A) nitrogen reducing septic systems.
- North Kingstown, R.I. - $450,000 -- This grant with a $18,221 match will allow the town of North Kingstown to identify up to 30 inadequate septic systems in critical nitrogen sensitive coastal areas and provide financial incentives to homeowners to upgrade to systems that reduce nitrogen.
- Bristol County Water Authority , $600,000 – This grant and a $1,410,000 match will enable the authority to work in Warren, R.I. to remove the upper and lower Kickamuit River dams. This will restore natural flow, improve the habitat, and help with fish migration. EPA's watershed grants program provided earlier funding to prepare for this removal.
- Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, $507,025 – This grant with a $326,080 match will enable the Council work in Providence to design, permit and build nature-based stormwater control measures along the Woonasquatucket River Greenway. The council's resident leader groups, the Campeones and River Rangers, will work alongside design consultants during project implementation
- U.S Geological Survey, $325,000 – This interagency agreement will help develop models that will help improve septic systems estimate the susceptibility of waterbodies statewide to the impacts of nitrogen.
This year, EPA has also announced an interagency agreement with the U.S Geological Survey, funded with $325,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop models that will help improve septic systems. The "Susceptibility of Aquifers, Streams, Ponds, and Coastal Waters to Water-Quality Impairments from Septic-System Wastewater Disposal in Rhode Island" will:
(1) determine septic-system density, and characteristics of statewide drainage areas, (2) rank the magnitude of nitrogen coming in from wastewater and other sources in the drainage areas, (3) sample water quality to find the relationship between septic density and nutrient concentrations, and (4) estimate how susceptible waterbodies statewide are to the impacts of nitrogen.
Projects Funded under SNEP Annual Appropriations
SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants Projects
For EPA watershed grants, EPA partners with Restore America's Estuaries, which manages the competitive grant process. This year, $1,707,728 is going to five projects focusing on building partnerships that tackle the region's most pressing environmental issues in areas such as nutrient pollution and coastal habitat loss.
- City of Woonsocket ($500,000): "Truman Drive Green Infrastructure Parkway Construction"
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island ($197,348): "Stormwater Master Plan, Education and Outreach Planning in Roger Williams Park Zoo" in Providence
- Town of Warren, R.I. ($400,000): "Jamiel's Park Shoreline Restoration Project"
- City of Providence. ($481,080): "Waterfront Access & Green Infrastructure at Public Street for the S. Providence Green Justice Zone"
- Rhode Island Chapter of Trout Unlimited ($129,300): "Removal of the Sweet Pond Dam to Restore Aquatic Organism Passage and Enhance Water Quality" in West Greenwich, R.I.
The RI Department of Environmental Management received $299,293 with a $45,344 match, under a competitive research grant. Under the grant, DEM will complete a project aimed at better understanding when eelgrass seeds mature and how dense the seeds are. The goal is to create a model of eelgrass reproduction, especially under the stresses of climate change. Healthy eelgrass beds in coastal water hold carbon and provide habitat for aquatic life.
EPA is also providing $250,000 to the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program to support implementation of its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, which helps protect coastal waters and build climate resilience.
Technical Assistance
Under the Network Technical Assistance Project of the Southeast New England Program, Coventry and Hopkinton will receive technical assistance through a project managed by the New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine.
Town of Coventry, R.I. –Coventry will receive technical assistance to help it develop long -range stormwater management planning around Upper Dam Pond. Elizabeth Scott Consulting, part of the network, will partner with the town on this project.
Town of Hopkinton, R.I. –Hopkinton will receive technical assistance to help it design and put in place stormwater management practices to address flooding and erosion at the intersection of Maxson Hill Road and Route 3. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Save the Bay, both network members, will partner with the town on this project.
What They Are Saying:
"Every neighborhood in Providence deserves access to clean, safe, greenspaces," said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. "The Public Street Waterfront Access Project prioritizes the health and quality-of-life of our frontline communities while also building the necessary green infrastructure to reduce pollution, manage stormwater and make our city more resilient. I am thankful to the community members and advocates that drove this process and our state and federal partners for their support in securing this funding and helping to make Providence a national leader in addressing the climate crisis."
"Clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems are essential to Rhode Island's environment, economy, and quality of life," said Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray. "Since their establishment in 2012, SNEP Watershed Grants have provided millions in funding to help to conserve and restore Southeastern New England's coastal waters, watersheds, and communities. DEM is proud to partner with the SNEP Network's regional efforts to address these ecological needs and is grateful for this grant funding which will support a project that will help restore coastal habitats and improve the Ocean State's climate resiliency."
"SNEP empowers communities by providing a regional framework of funding, coordination and technical assistance, that local organizations use to create local solutions," said Tom Ardito, Director of SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants (SWIG). "Restore America's Estuaries is pleased that, again this year, more than three-quarters of our $3.2 million in grants will benefit environmental justice communities such as Providence."
"Over the past four years, the SNEP Network has worked with over 70 Southeast New England municipalities, tribes and organizations on projects and helped eight communities secure over $2M to advance their climate resilient projects," said Martha Sheils, Executive Director of New England Environmental Finance Center. "In this fifth year, we are excited to continue our capacity building efforts by offering our popular Stormwater Planning Series to four communities, two of which are in Rhode Island."
"The People's Port Authority and The Racial and Environmental Justice Committee champions the power of community engagement, fueled by the spirit of environmental justice. As we extend our heartfelt thanks for the $4.6 million in funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency," said The Peoples Port Authority Executive Director Monica Huertas. "While South Side and Washington Park have been the most affected by polluting industries, we recognize this as a shared victory for all Rhode Island communities. When one community is changed for the better, we all win. This generous support not only safeguards our coastal waters and watersheds but also strengthens partnerships with local organizations dedicated to the cause of clean water and thriving coastal ecosystems in Southeast New England. We know we have more work ahead and millions more in funding to secure if we want to achieve racial and environmental equity, However, we are confident that with continued community engagement and support, we will achieve the equity South Side and Washington Park deserve. We stand committed in our mission to combat environmental injustice and create a brighter, healthier future for all residents of Providence."
Background
In 2012, Congress charged EPA with conserving and restoring southeast New England's coastal environment, and in 2014 began providing funding to develop a Southeast New England Program. As EPA's pass-through organization, Restore America's Estuaries is now working with EPA to manage the watershed grants program, funding local organizations that are restoring clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems. The New England Environmental Finance Center serves as the pass-through organization for the related watershed network, which offers free technical assistance to communities throughout the southeast New England region.
For more about EPA's Southeast New England Program, SNEP Watershed Grants, and the SNEP Network see: https://www.epa.gov/snep and www.snepgrants.org and www.snepnetwork.org.
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/nG7TeqR