Drought Watch in Effect –Conserve Water, Reports DEC

This Week's Updates: [official]

• MS4 Comment Period Extended
• Grant Awards Announced
• Drought

Despite recent rain and snow, all of New York State remains under a drought watch. You can do your part to save water. For tips on conserving water, visit DEC’s Saving Water Makes Good Sense webpage.

Public Comment Period for Draft MS4 Permit Extended [official]

DEC is extending the comment period for the draft renewal of the SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) (GP-0-17-002) and supporting documents to close of business on February 3, 2017.

Submit written comments to: Ethan Sullivan, NYSDEC, Division of Water, 625 Broadway - 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3505 or by e-mail to Stormwater_info@dec.ny.gov. If submitting comments by e-mail, please include “Comments on the Draft Renewal of the 2017 MS4 GP” in the subject line.

This comment period extension will be formally announced in the December 14 Environmental Notice Bulletin.

---

Grant Awards Announced

• Water Quality Improvement Project, DEC/EFC Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant and Climate Smart Communities Grants

  This week Governor Cuomo, through the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative, announced grant awards:

  Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program

  The Governor announced $27.9 million for 46 WQIP projects that will improve water quality, reduce polluted runoff and restore waterbodies and aquatic habitats.
  
  The WQIP program provides grant funding to municipalities for projects including: municipal wastewater treatment; municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4); abatement of non-agricultural nonpoint source runoff; and restoration of aquatic habitats.  A full list of WQIP projects is available on DEC’s WQIP Program webpage.

  DEC/EFC Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) Program

  The Governor announced $2,137,783 million for 41 EPG grants that will provide financial assistance to communities for the initial planning of eligible Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) water quality projects.
  
  The EPG program provides funding to municipalities for engineering and/or consultant fees for engineering and planning services for the production of an engineering report. A full list of EPG projects is available on the on the Environmental Facilities Corporation’s EPG webpage.

  Climate Smart Communities Grant Program

  Governor Cuomo announced $10,997,460 for 29 Climate Smart Communities (CSC) projects to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
  
  The CSC program provides grant funding to municipalities for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for changing climate conditions, with an emphasis on flood risk reduction, natural resiliency, restoration and reconnection of marshes and floodplains, clean transportation, and food waste reduction and recycling. A full list of funded CSC projects is available on DEC’s Climate Smart Communities webpage.

• Grants for Communities with Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

  Governor Cuomo announced a total of $386,837 in grants to assist ten communities with detection, monitoring and reporting of CSOs to improve reporting under the Sewage Pollution Right to Know (SPRTK) Law.
  
  DEC recently promulgated new regulations for the Sewage Pollution Right to Know Law, which require municipalities with CSO discharges to notify the public every time there is a discharge from their system. These grants are critical as they provide municipalities the resources to install equipment and develop essential reporting tools to better inform the public.