EPA hands out urban waterway grants

Posted on 27 June 2012

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The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $2.7 million to 46 organizations in 32 states and Puerto Rico to help restore urban waters, support community revitalization and promote good health.

Nancy Stoner, the EPA’s acting assistant administrator for water, made the announcement Tuesday in Atlanta and awarded a grant to the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper organization.

The group will use the funds to expand its Water Watch program to improve water quality and human health in metro Atlanta neighborhoods.

EPA’s Urban Waters program supports communities’ efforts to access, improve and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. Urban waters include canals, rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, estuaries, bays and oceans in urbanized areas.

Many urban waterways have been polluted for years by sewage, 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.

The grants range from $30,000 to $60,000 for projects across the country, including in a number of underserved communities.

Recipients will promote the restoration of urban waters through community engagement and outreach, water quality monitoring and studies, and environmental education and training.

Click here to see a list of the projects that will be funded.

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