On August 1, a delegation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came to the Wareham Middle School to view the stormwater investigative work being conducted by the Buzzards Bay Stormwater Collaborative. The delegation was led by David Cash, Regional Administrator for EPA Region 1. Other participants included Doug Gutro, Assistant Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and Martin Gerard, Deputy Southeast Regional Director Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup, and a staff member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee.

The Buzzards Bay Stormwater Collaborative is a partnership between the Buzzards Bay NEP, Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), and eight Buzzards Bay towns (Bourne, Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett, Acushnet, Fairhaven, Dartmouth, and Westport). At the site visit, NEP Executive Director Dr. Joe Costa described how the Stormwater Collaborative is organized, the role of the participants, and how the effort has been funded by Buzzards Bay towns, Massachusetts DEP, EPA’s Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration (SNEP), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The NEP guides the work of the Stormwater Collaborative, with towns funding co-op and work study students who in turn obtain credits toward their environmental science degree and develop practical skills they can apply in their careers. Details about the Stormwater Collaborative are contained in this fact sheet.

NEP Stormwater Specialist, Kevin Bartsch, then described how illicit discharge investigations are undertaken and brought the invitees to different stations of activity. MMA Stormwater Coordinator, Maura Flaherty oversaw the co-op students and Wareham Municipal Maintenance worker Chris Rebhan supervised access to the school’s stormwater network.

The Stormwater Collaborative is an excellent example of how NEPs can promote efficient partnerships to meet our collective goals to protect and restore water quality and living resources. The EPA delegation was most impressed with the work of the MMA students and how this program helps advance the completion of their degrees. Below are some photos of the event.

The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program announced the availability of $211,605 in grant funds for the FY23 Buzzards Bay Watershed Municipal Mini-grant Program. The announcement has been posted on the COMMBUYS website. We are seeking proposals from municipalities for projects that help meet the NEP’s goals to protect and restore water quality and living resources in Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed and implement a recommendation or recommendations in the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Eligible municipalities may submit any number of applications per grant category, and they may receive more than one grant; however, no single grant award may exceed $70,000, and no municipality may be awarded more than $140,000 cumulatively.

All projects must be located within the Buzzards Bay watershed. Municipalities with projects located in one or more Environmental Justice (EJ) Populations, as defined in the EEA EJ Policy, are strongly encouraged to apply under this grant opportunity provided they meet the eligibility criteria under this section.

Proposals must be submitted electronically and are due Tuesday, September 27, 2022, by 4:00 PM.  Applicants must provide a non-federal match that will equal or exceed 33 percent of requested grant funds (i.e., 25 percent of total project costs). Contracts are expected to begin November 1, 2022, and last for approximately one year.

For more information, go to our NEP funding page.