Pennsylvania Governor Approves Funding for 17 Municipal Stormwater Projects

On June 29, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of funding to support to 17 municipal stormwater projects in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

“The convenience we all enjoy with pavement comes with a tangible cost: increased runoff pollution in our local waters,” said Governor Wolf. “I’m pleased to support the municipalities—towns, cities, and other large land owners—striving to meet the stormwater challenge in Pennsylvania.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is ramping up its work on implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit program, which incorporates more stringent stormwater management requirements. About 1,000 municipalities around the state must meet new requirements; approximately 340 are in the 43 Pennsylvania counties in the Bay watershed.

“To make the greatest, most timely impact with our resources,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “This funding targets projects in our Bay watershed counties with the highest pollutant loads. Collectively, the projects will remove 396 pounds of phosphorous, 2,800 pounds of nitrogen, and almost 800,000 pounds of sediment from local waters.”

Projects are funded through the EPA Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grants Program, a vital part of Pennsylvania’s progress in cleaning up its local waters and thereby benefiting the Bay.

“The County of York and 43 municipalities are working together to clean up impaired streams through their MS4 [stormwater] permits,” said Felicia Dell, director of the York County Planning Commission. “Together we’ve developed a regional plan that identifies best management practices and collectively funds and constructs them. The municipalities should be lauded for their vision and spirit of cooperation.”

The complete list of projects approved includes:

•    Altoona City: St. Therese of the Child Jesus rain garden phase 2 ($55,349)
•    Blair Township: Edgewood Drive stormwater basin retrofit ($100,000)
•    Carlisle Borough: Urban stormwater park native wetland plantings ($200,000)
•    Denver Borough: Denver Memorial Park rain gardens and streambank restoration ($38,220)
•    Duncansville Borough: Duncansville Memorial Park bioretention, rain gardens, and permeable pavement ($200,000)
•    East Lampeter Township: Mill Bridge Campground riparian buffer stream restoration ($199,610)
•    Goldsboro Borough: Stream restoration between South York and Water Streets ($86,290)
•    Mechanicsburg: Northside stormwater basin retrofit ($164,381)
•    Mount Joy Borough: Rotary Park vegetation swale ($64,633) and Pink Alley stormwater basin retrofit ($40,422)
•    Lancaster Township: Kensington Club stormwater basin retrofit ($200,000)
•    Lemoyne Borough: Streambank restoration at Harrisburg Academy ($176,700)
•    Paradise Township: BMC Paradise Truss Plant retrofit ($142,082)
•    Paxtang Borough: Paxtang Parkway rain garden ($72,000)
•    Rapho Township: Lefever Road stormwater basin retrofit ($161,360)
•    Spring Grove Borough: Campus Avenue stream restoration phase 1 ($185,000)
•    York: Memorial Park Poorhouse Run streambank restoration ($200,00)

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