Delaware’s beaches, wetlands, and waterways get nearly $600,000 in federal grants for clean water projects.
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz announced grant details at Cape Henlopen State Park Monday, and says it is a continued payment on the long-term investments coming to Delaware.
“The health of the beaches really comes from the health of the wetlands, and the inland waterways, and also the land and how we’re doing development around these water bodies," Ortiz says. "So, this is a beautiful park, and it's one of many beautiful parks, and if these parks aren’t healthy and the communities around them aren’t healthy, then the beaches are not going to be healthy.”
Annual water quality monitoring at the beaches will be supported by $223,000 from the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act.
$200,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will assess wastewater treatment systems in underserved manufactured home communities throughout Delaware's portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
And another $172,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help restore 25 acres of wetlands in the Great Cypress Swamp, which is part of the Pocomoke River Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Senator Tom Carper says projects like these are essential to keeping beach tourism alive, but also for residents’ quality of life.
“We want to make sure that the oceans they’re swimming in are clean," he says. "We have some folks, there are some mobile home communities, not too far from where we’re gathered here, we want to make sure that they are safe and sanitary as well for the people who live there.”
Carper adds these projects are already paid for, so there is no deficit spending.
