BOSTON – The Baker Administration has awarded $500,000 in grants to support projects addressing stormwater runoff pollution and three local towns have received funding.
The grants were provided by the Office of Coastal Zone Management and were awarded to Barnstable, Plymouth and Yarmouth.
Barnstable received $59,014 to conduct a watershed assessment to identify opportunities where stormwater treatment systems, or Best Management Practices (BMPs), can be installed and then complete design and permitting for locations determined to have the highest priority.
The constructed systems will treat contaminated runoff, protect coastal habitat and improve recreational and shellfishing opportunities in the Three Bays area.
The town of Plymouth received $175,000 to construct stormwater BMPs at two locations which have been designed through a previous Coastal Pollutant Remediation grant.
The systems will help prevent sediment, nutrients and bacteria from reaching Great Herring Pond. Reducing pollutants will protect water quality and critical habitat for river herring.
Yarmouth was awarded $10,533 dollars to fund final designs of stormwater BMPs to treat bacteria and nitrogen contaminated runoff that impact the town’s southern coast.
The project builds on previous Coastal Zone Management funding. The long-term goal is to improve coastal water quality and habitat, along with reopening shellfish beds.
“Coastal Pollutant Remediation grants have a proven track record of helping communities address stormwater pollution to protect the coast of Massachusetts from contamination,” said Matthew Beaton, the energy and environmental affairs secretary. “These projects directly improve water quality to ensure coastal ecosystems are healthy and that the public can swim, fish and shellfish along our shores.”
Other communities that were awarded grants are Everett, Kingston and Melrose.
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