Author: Joe Costa

EPA site visit to Stormwater Collaborative Investigations in Wareham

Posted on by Joe Costa

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.

MMA stormwater coordinator Maura Flaherty displays the camera image from within the stormwater network. Clockwise around Maura: Kevin Bartsch, Regina Lyons, David Cash, Senate staffer Rishi Sahgal, Joe Costa, and Co-op student name. Photo by Sarah Williams.
MMA stormwater coordinator Maura Flaherty displays the camera image from within the stormwater network. Clockwise around Maura: NEP Stormwater Specialist Kevin Bartsch, EPA Branch Chief Regina Lyons (obscured), EPA Region 1 Administrator David Cash, Senate staffer Rishi Sahgal, NEP Executive Director Joe Costa, and Co-op student Brody Richards. Photo by Sarah Williams.
MMA co-op students Christian Gouveia, and Joe Napolitano remove a stormwater network access cover. Photo by Sarah Williams.
NEP Stormwater Specialist, Kevin Bartsch, providing an overview of the IDDE investigation to the visiting delegation. Photo by Bernadette Taber.
MMA co-op student Brody Richards observes smoke testing underway to document network connections. Photos by Bernadette Taber (left) and Sarah Williams (right).
EPA Region 1 Administrator David Cash (center), poses with the illicit discharge investigations team including (left to right) Wareham Municipal Maintenance worker Chris Rebhan. Stormwater Coordinator, Maura Flaherty, and MMA co-op students Dan Vieira, Brody Richards, Christian Gouveia, and Joe Napolitano. Photo by Sarah Williams.

Round 2 Buzzards Bay Infrastructure grants available

Posted on by Joe Costa

The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program is seeking proposals for the FY24 Buzzards Bay Watershed Infrastructure and CCMP Grant Support Program – Round 2, with $737,131 in federal funding available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Eligible projects must implement a recommendation in the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and be principally located within the Buzzards Bay Watershed. Eligible municipalities may submit any number of applications but may only receive a maximum of two grant awards not to exceed $400,000. No single grant award may exceed $375,000. There is no match required.

Eligible projects include:

  1. Feasibility and design of stormwater facilities to treat discharges to impaired surface waters.
  2. Construction of stormwater facilities to treat discharges affecting surface waters.
  3. Support for tasks to achieve Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) compliance (other than required routine maintenance).
  4. Feasibility studies and conceptual plans to enhance nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater treatment facilities using innovative or unconventional approaches.
  5. Restoration of wetlands, habitat, and migratory fish passage.
  6. Construction of a boat pump-out facility in a municipality or harbor when none exists.
  7. Creation of online reporting systems for tracking of operation, maintenance, and monitoring of innovative and alternative septic systems.
  8. Projects that, through direct action, mitigate or restore coastal waters, coastal resources, freshwaters, or freshwater resources impaired by pollutant loading.
  9. Land, open space, or habitat preservation, acquisition, or protection.
  10. Other activities in support of the CCMP and compatible with BIL funding.

Additional details and required forms are posted on our Funding page and the COMMBUYS website.

NEP awards Grants to Improve Water Quality

Posted on by Joe Costa

On April 25, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program (NEP) announced $808,500 in federally funded grant awards for projects that will improve water quality in the Buzzards Bay watershed by upgrading wastewater treatment plants and reducing stormwater runoff pollution. The three grants were awarded by the Buzzards Bay NEP through CZM, with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. These three grants are leveraging $484,000 in local cash and in-kind services:

Bourne – The $183,500 grant award will be used to hire an engineering firm to design stormwater treatment options to address nutrient and bacteria loading to Queen Sewell Pond, which has caused beach closures due to harmful algal blooms and elevated bacteria levels.

Dartmouth – With this $250,000 grant, the Town will make modifications to its wastewater treatment facility to better meet permitted discharge limits for certain pollutants and significantly reduce nitrogen discharges to Buzzards Bay, potentially removing more than 100,000 pounds of nitrogen pollution each year.

New Bedford – This $375,000 award will be used to complete Phase II of the Buttonwood Park stormwater management project, which will address sediment erosion and pollutant discharges from the Buttonwood Senior Center property and nearby neighborhoods, including waste from a large Canada geese population.

For more information, see the EEA Press Release. Also, see this article on CapeCod.com for news coverage of the grants: Bourne Gets State Money for Queen Sewell Pond Cleaning.