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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM ANNOUNCES AWARD OF $654,000 IN WATER QUALITY RESTORATION GRANTS PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces the award of $654,000 in federal Clean Water Act grants for four projects to restore water quality. The grants are from Clean Water Act Section 319 nonpoint source program administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency. They will be managed by DEM's Office of Water Resources through its nonpoint source pollution management program.Grants have been awarded to the towns of Bristol, Middletown and North Kingstown, and to the RI Department of Transportation for projects to control and treat stormwater. The grants will fund construction of stormwater treatment structures in Bristol, Middletown and North Kingstown, and a feasibility study to identify the best approach for reducing phosphorus pollution in an area of Middletown. The grants require a 10 to 30 percent match. Stormwater is one of the major sources of water quality degradation in Rhode Island. DEM has documented widespread water quality problems caused by stormwater runoff, including beach closures and areas closed to shellfishing. The design standards for handling and treating stormwater runoff have been updated and revised jointly by the DEM and the Coastal Resources Management Council, and are featured in the new RI Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual that takes effect on January 1, 2011. The new stormwater manual includes water quality performance standards for new development and certain types of redevelopment that stormwater management practices must meet in order to minimize impacts to the State's waters, both surface water and groundwater. DEM received 34 grant proposals requesting approximately $4.8 million in funding. Highest priority was given to construction and design projects that control or abate nonpoint source pollution impairments that have been characterized by a water quality restoration plan, and projects to control nonpoint source pollution in impaired waterbodies that require a restoration plan. Priorities were given to watersheds in which significant public investment has been made, but which require additional investment to meet restoration goals. The four projects awarded grants are as follows: Bristol: Town Beach Stormwater Pipe Retrofit Construction Project -- $158,000 Contact: Ed Tanner, principal planner, 253-7000 This project is for construction of a gravel wet vegetated treatment system that was designed with funds from a previous nonpoint source grant. Stormwater from a large residential neighborhood currently flows untreated into a small coastal wetland adjacent to the town beach. The project is part of a large suite of low impact design retrofit projects the town is undertaking throughout the adjacent recreation area to reduce and clean stormwater runoff at Bristol Town Beach in an effort to reduce the number of beach closure days caused by excessive bacteria. Middletown: Feasibility Study for the Attenuation of Phosphorus in Stormwater in the North Easton Pond Watershed - $31,000 Contact: Ronald Wolanski, town planner, 849-4027 This project will assess the sources of phosphorus and other pollutants in the stormwater contributing to North Easton's Pond and develop a feasibility study to determine best management practices (both structural and non-structural) that can be used to reduce the phosphorus pollution. North Kingstown: Sawmill Pond Watershed Restoration Project - $200,000 Contact: Jon Reiner, planning director, 268-1570 The Town of North Kingstown has recently completed the development of a watershed plan for the Sawmill Pond Watershed. This project will fund the construction of three stormwater treatment systems in the watershed and the implementation of a public education and outreach program that will include 10 demonstration rain gardens. RI Department of Transportation: Reconstruction of Two Mile Corner - $265,000 Contact: Anita Marshall, PE, RIDOT Highway Design Project Manager, 222-2023 ext. 4044 This project is for the design and construction of a gravel wet vegetated treatment system to treat stormwater from Two Mile Corner in Middletown. This is an urbanized intersection in the Bailey Brook Watershed where West Main Road (Route 114), East Main Road (Route 138) and Coddington Highway converge. Runoff from this area currently flows untreated directly into Bailey Brook, which leads to Easton's Pond, a public water supply reservoir. -30- |
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