EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin today announced six area organizations that are among 37 nationwide to share $2.1 million in federal funding to help protect and restore urban waters, improve water quality, and support community revitalization. Garvin was joined by Andrew Stober, Chief of Staff for Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and other federal and local representatives in announcing the funding at a news conference along the Schuylkill River Trail near Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Bridge.
The funding is through EPA’s Urban Waters program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. Nearly $320,000 is going to six projects in the Philadelphia, Chester, and Wilmington, Del., areas in the Delaware River Basin.
“Thanks to the hard work of these six organizations and the merit of their projects, no area in the country is receiving more of this year’s Urban Waters Grants than the Delaware River Basin,” said Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “We’re particularly proud that all of the Delaware River Basin projects promote achieving environmental justice and focus on managing stormwater through green infrastructure and community planning.”
EPA is awarding grants ranging from $40,000 to $60,000 for projects taking place in areas that align with the 18 designated Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations. Just last year, the Partnership was expanded to include the Delaware River Basin. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership is made up of 13 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts.
All funded projects work to advance environmental justice in their communities and focus on one of the following three categories: community greening and green infrastructure, communities and water quality data, and integration of water quality and community development in planning.
Urban waters include canals, rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, estuaries, bays and oceans in urbanized areas. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance economic, educational, recreational and social opportunities in nearby communities. By reconnecting communities to their local urban waters, EPA will help communities to actively participate in restoring urban waters while improving their neighborhoods.
