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State grants available to clean up polluted waters

Through Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection’s Division of Water

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 4, 2016) — Grant funds for projects that help clean up polluted streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater, and for projects that protect water resources, are available from the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection’s Division of Water (DOW). The grants would provide funding for watershed restoration projects and watershed plan development, as well as other projects that reduce and prevent runoff pollution.

Runoff pollution, also known as non-point source pollution (NPS), is the number one contributor to water pollution in Kentucky, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the impaired rivers, streams and lakes in the state. NPS occurs when water runs across the land and carries sediment, nutrients, pesticides, metals, and animal and human waste into streams, rivers, and groundwater.

The Kentucky Division of Water administers the federal NPS grants, which are funded through Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. The funds are provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and can be used to pay for up to 60 percent of the total cost for each project; a 40 percent non-federal match is required.

DOW gives priority to projects involving watershed plan development and implementation in impaired waters, as well as the protection of Special Use Waters (e.g., cold water aquatic habitat, exceptional waters, state wild rivers and federal wild and scenic rivers) with identified threats.

To be considered for this competitive 2016 funding, a project proposal form must be submitted by April 22. Division of Water NPS staff will review the project proposals and rank them according to eligibility and priority criteria to determine if they warrant further consideration and formal applications. Grant applications will only be accepted by invited entities identified through the proposal process.

The project proposal form, along with supporting documents, can be found at http://water.ky.gov/Funding/Pages/NonpointSource.aspx. Proposals may also be submitted throughout the year for NPS program staff review and consideration for a future grant cycle.

For more information contact James Roe at 502-564-3410 or [email protected].