State gives $34 million for water cleanup

Of the 149 projects granted money from the Growing Greener program, 43 in south central Pennsylvania will get $12 million.

Rachel McDevitt

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I report on energy and the environment for StateImpact Pennsylvania at WITF.

My work focuses on responses and solutions to climate change in the state legislature and communities around the state. I trace my interest in these issues back to my time as a Girl Scout and this episode of Rocko’s Modern Life.

I look forward to winter just for the chance to ski a few times each season. I try to keep myself from doom-scrolling on my phone by keeping my hands busy knitting and learning to play the piano.

I grew up in Cambria County, Pa. and graduated from Temple University. I started at WITF just after Christmas in 2014.

Kimberly Paynter / WHYY

An environmental clean-up crew works to remove gasoline fuel from an ETP pipeline spill in Darby creek in Tinicum Township, Pa. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

January 6, 2021 | 6:02 AM

The state is giving more than $34 million to scores of water cleanup projects across the commonwealth.

The largest share is going to efforts in the south central part of the state.

Of the 149 projects granted money from the Growing Greener program, 43 in south central Pennsylvania will get $12 million. Many of those involve reducing agricultural runoff, which eventually flows to the Chesapeake Bay.

They include such efforts as planting riparian forest buffers in Berks County, beautification of York County’s Codorus Creek, and Dickinson College’s attempt to develop high frequency monitoring tools to manage algal blooms.

Just less than $6 million is funding 15 Lancaster County projects, many of which involve reducing agricultural pollution or stream restoration.

The Growing Greener program is used for farmland preservation projects, open space conservation, state park maintenance, abandoned mines reclamation and watershed restoration. Money can also go to upgrade local water and sewer systems and recreation sites.

The Department of Environmental Protection says the program is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address the state’s critical environmental concerns.