The Commonwealth Financing Authority is now accepting applications for grants under the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund Programs covering abandoned mine drainage abatement and treatment, watershed restoration and protection, water quality data, greenways, trails and recreation and orphan and abandoned well plugging programs.

Applications are due July 31 and will be considered at the CFA’s November 13 meeting.

Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement: Eligible applications cover projects to restore and maintain stream reaches impaired by abandoned mine drainage and ultimately, to remove these streams from the Department of Environmental Resources Impaired Waters list. Grants will not exceed $1 million and require a 15 percent match.  Click Here for program guidelines.

Watershed Restoration Protection: Grants to restore and maintain stream reaches impaired by the uncontrolled discharge of nonpoint source polluted runoff and ultimately to remove these streams from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Impaired Waters list. Grants will not exceed $300,000 and require a 15 percent match.  Click Here for program guidelines.

Baseline Water Quality Data Program: Grants to use the scientific principles and practices for water sample collection and analysis to document existing groundwater quality conditions on private water supplies. Grants will not exceed $250,000 and require a 15 percent match.  Click Here for program guidelines.

Greenways, Trails and Recreation: Grants for the planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks and beautification projects. Grants will not exceed $250,000 and require a 50 percent match, except for applications from municipalities with a population of less than 5,000 which requires a 20 percent match.  Click Here for program guidelines.

Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging: grants to provide mechanisms to plug abandoned and orphaned wells that have the potential to cause health, safety or environmental concerns. Grants will not exceed $250,000.  Click Here for program guidelines.

Eligible applicants include local governments, watershed organizations, for-profit businesses (other than producers of natural gas), councils of governments or other authorized organizations (any entity involved in research, restoration, rehabilitation, planning, acquisition, development, education or other activities, which furthers the protection, enhancement, conservation, preservation or enjoyment of this Commonwealth's environmental, conservation, recreation or similar resources).

Notify Your Legislators: If you plan to apply for funding under this program, PA Environment Digest strongly urges you to notify your local House and Senate member that you have applied and make sure they know how important it is to you.

The CFA is scheduled to consider guidelines for two additional programs created under Act 13 at its March 20 meeting-- Flood Hazard Mitigation and Sewage Facilities funding.  There will be about $14.5 million available under the Act 13 programs announced this week and the programs to be considered in March.

For more information, contact Brian Eckert or Matthew Karnell at 717-787-6245 to discuss potential projects before commencing the application process.

2/4/2013