The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of $3,339,177 in new funding for southeast Massachusetts communities and new technical assistance and partnerships with local organizations working for clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems. More than $1 million of this new funding is through President Biden’s November 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which is providing funds for projects across the country to improve climate resiliency and address infrastructure upgrades. The remaining funds are through annual Congressional appropriations to EPA’s Southeast New England Program (SNEP).
In addition to the BIL-funded projects, SNEP is providing $1,494,685 in grants through the SNEP Watershed Implementation Grant (SWIG) program; $298,287 under a competitive research grant; $300,000 under an Inter-Agency agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); $250,000 to the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program; and direct technical assistance to three municipalities.
“Massachusetts’ senior elected officials continue to do a fantastic job crafting great solutions for the challenges facing our coastal waters – and this funding is a result of their hard work and creativity,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “These projects announced today will advance EPA’s and the Commonwealth’s commitment to investing in underserved communities.
The SNEP Network is administered through EPA’s partnership with the New England Environmental Finance Center, a non-profit technical assistance provider for EPA Region 1.
