Gov. Rendell this week announced the first 140 grant awards from the environmental bond issue approved by voters in May totaling $65 million in 50 counties. Projects included measures to clean up rivers and streams, improve parks, revitalize abandoned industrial sites and protect open space and preserve farmland.

Participating in the announcement were Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty, Lebanon County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz and Andrew McElwaine, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

In addition to the individual project announcements, the Governor said all 67 counties will now be able to apply for $90 million, allocated on a county-by-county basis, for eligible environmental projects under the County Environmental Initiative Program.

Each county will receive a list of already pending grant applications from the departments of Environmental Protection, Conservation and Natural Resources, Community and Economic Development, Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority from which they can choose projects or counties can add their own.

The individual project announcements fall into several categories including:

· $31.5 million to upgrade state parks and improve state forests;

· $14 million to clean up acid mine drainage, other water quality improvements and watershed grants;

· $9.7 million to clean former industrial sites;

· $3 million to upgrade our water and sewer infrastructure;

· $3.7 million for open space protection;

· $2.2 million to use mine water as an economic resource; and

· $700,000 to remove impacts from dams.

The largest investment, $7.7 million, is going to conservation districts that administer the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which pays farmers to take land along streams out of production to help decrease agricultural related run-off into major waterways that feed into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Governor noted that this is not the only planned announcement of environmental grants. He said additional open space grants, administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will be announced this winter. The Department of Environmental Protection also will soon open its round of Growing Greener I and Growing Greener II grants.

And the Department of Agriculture is working with counties to identify state funds needed to match county funds for farmland preservation grants. That announcement is expected in the spring.

A complete list of individual projects funded is available online.

11/4/2005