Baker-Polito Administration Awards Grants to Improve and Protect Coastal Water Quality

BOSTON – August 31, 2016 – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $346,292
in grants to support local efforts to address and treat polluted runoff from roads
and paved surfaces to protect coastal water quality. The grants, provided by the
Office of Coastal Zone Management’s (CZM) Coastal Pollutant Remediation (CPR) Grant
Program, were awarded to Medford, Milton, Plymouth, Salem and Yarmouth.

«Our administration is committed to supporting efforts across the Commonwealth to
protect the environment and keep coastal waters clean,» said Governor Charlie Baker.
«These grants provide direct funding to municipalities to work at the local level to
address sources of pollution impacting waterways and ultimately the coast.»

«These projects underscore the dedication of our cities and towns to water quality
protection,» said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. «I applaud the ingenuity and
commitment that each community receiving a grant has to ensure that polluted runoff
does not enter streams, rivers and ultimately our ocean waters.»

«Massachusetts is home to some of the most beautiful coastline in the world,» said
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. «To help protect this
important resource, Coastal Pollutant Remediation grants provide funding to towns
and cities throughout the coastal watershed to improve water quality, support
healthy ecosystems and ensure that beaches and shellfish beds remain open for the
public to enjoy.»

The goal of CZM’s Coastal Pollutant Remediation (CPR) Grant Program is to improve
coastal water quality by reducing or eliminating nonpoint sources of pollution. This
type of pollution primarily occurs when contaminants are picked up by rain, snow
melt and other flowing water and carried over land, in groundwater or through
drainage systems to the nearest body of water and ultimately out to the sea.
Nonpoint source pollution impacts water quality and coastal habitat and reduces
opportunities to harvest shellfish and swim due to mandated closures.

«For the last 20 years, CZM’s Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant Program has
provided funding and technical assistance for community-based efforts to protect
coastal water quality,» said CZM Director Bruce Carlisle. «This year’s grants
highlight the commitment of our cities and towns to keeping nonpoint source
pollution from degrading our coasts, and CZM continues to be a proud partner in
these efforts.»

The following five projects have been funded through this year’s grants:

Medford – $125,000 – The City of Medford, in partnership with the Mystic River
Watershed Association, will construct a gravel wetland to treat contaminated
stormwater runoff from a municipal parking lot to reduce nutrients and sediment
reaching the Mystic River. This project will improve water quality in the river,
preserving critical habitat for river herring, and builds on previous work to
prioritize stormwater treatment sites in the watershed.

Milton – $17,752 – The Town of Milton, in partnership with the Neponset River
Watershed Association, will design stormwater treatment systems at four locations to
treat polluted runoff to Unquity Brook. The project, informed by a thorough
assessment of pollution sources, will lead to improved water quality and habitat in
Gulliver’s Creek, part of the Neponset River Estuary Area of Critical Environmental
Concern (ACEC), which has been recognized by the state for its environmental
importance.

Plymouth – $59,910 – The Town of Plymouth, in partnership with the Herring Ponds
Watershed Association, will advance a stormwater assessment conducted in 2015 to
design and permit stormwater treatment systems at two priority locations. This
project will improve water quality in Great Herring Pond and preserve critical
habitat for river herring in the active run that links the pond to the Cape Cod
Canal.

Salem – $78,680 – The City of Salem, in partnership with Salem Sound Coastwatch,
will design and permit stormwater treatment systems at Winter Island Park. The work
implements elements of a comprehensive Master Plan for the park area. When
constructed, these treatment systems will decrease the polluted stormwater runoff
that reaches Salem Sound and Salem Harbor.

Yarmouth – $64,950 – The Town of Yarmouth will design and construct a gravel
bioretention stormwater treatment system. Using this emerging technology, this pilot
project will treat bacteria and nitrogen that are degrading local waters. The
project will serve as a model for other communities interested in addressing these
pollutants.

«I applaud the work and partnership of the City of Salem and Salem Sound Coastwatch,
and thank the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for this grant
award,» stated State Senator Joan Lovely (D-Salem). «Winter Island and Salem Harbor
are important natural resources. This grant will expand and support city efforts to
protect its waterfront to help ensure clean water, a healthy environment and active
public use.»

«Salem is grateful to receive these funds to continue our commitment to keeping
Winter Island a clean recreational space to be enjoyed by residents and visitors to
our beautiful coastline,» said State Representative Paul Tucker (D-Salem). «The
Baker-Polito Administration recognizes Salem is committed to keeping our waterfront
open and clean in collaboration with Salem Sound Coastwatch.»

«While we still have a ways to go, great progress has been made to clean up the
Mystic River,» said State Senator Patricia D. Jehlen (D-Somerville). «This grant
will help continue that effort so we can reclaim the river as the unpolluted natural
recreational escape it should be.»

«This grant will provide critical resources to ensure the water quality of the
Mystic River continues on a path to improvement,» said State Representative
Christine Barber (D-Somerville). «I am glad to see Medford and the Mystic River
Watershed Association working in partnership to prioritize stormwater treatment.»

«This grant will allow the Mystic River Watershed Association to construct an
important project as they continue to do outstanding work in this very important
environmental area,» said State Representative Paul Donato (D-Medford).

«I am pleased by the administration’s decision to award a CPR grant to the City of
Medford,» said State Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington). «This vital
funding will assist the City in maintaining watershed quality and upholding its
commitment to the preservation of our natural resources.»

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is the lead policy and
planning agency on coastal and ocean issues within the Executive Office of Energy
and Environmental Affairs. Through planning, technical and grant assistance and
public information programs, CZM seeks to balance the impacts of human activity with
the protection of coastal and marine resources. The agency’s work includes helping
coastal communities address the challenges of storms, sea level rise and other
effects of climate change; working with state, regional and federal partners to
balance current and new uses of ocean waters while protecting ocean habitats and
promoting sustainable economic development; and partnering with communities and
other organizations to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats.