HARRISBURG – The Department of Environmental Protection has announced the latest recipients of the Growing Greener grant program, according to Senator David G. Argall. Two projects in Schuylkill County and four projects in Berks County will receive a total of almost $1.8 million in grants to help clean up waterways in the area.
As a cosponsor of the Growing Greener program who fought against significant opposition to get this funding approved, Senator Argall applauded these grant announcements. “These projects are exactly the kind I envisioned when I was initially supporting the Growing Greener funding. This funding will be an effective tool in the longstanding and dedicated effort by our local public-private partnerships to clean up our waterways,” said Argall.
Dean Druckenmiller, the District Executive for the Berks County Conservation District, added, “The grants awarded to the Berks County Conservation District will be used to directly improve our County’s water resources and aid in improving water quality for both the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay watersheds.”
The effect that these projects can have on our communities was recently made abundantly clear by a story in the Republican Herald that discussed how a project funded by the Growing Greener program helped save Pine Grove from flooding during the heavy rainstorm on Christmas Eve. By restoring a floodplain to provide more natural drainage during storms, the town was saved from what would have been 12 inches of flooding.
The following projects were awarded new Growing Greener grants:
- Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices for the Kittatinny-Pine Creek watershed: $381,49
- Implementing a riparian forest buffer in Berks County: $385,000
- Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices for the Little Swatara Creek watershed: $67,485
- Installing pollution control systems in the Shoemakersville storm sewer system: $42,200
- Designing acid mine drainage treatment equipment to benefit the Mahanoy Creek: $165,434
- Implementing Best Management Practices for farms in Schuylkill County: $750,500
