Governor David A. Paterson today announced $6.3 million for innovative water quality projects in Central New York through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds were awarded to nine different projects through a new State initiative known as the Green Innovation Grant Program, which promotes sustainable, environmentally sensitive water infrastructure and technologies.

 

The grants will support cost-cutting solutions for progressive water conservation, energy efficiency technologies for drinking water systems and clean water infrastructure. The projects include green roofs, permeable pavement, rain harvesting and progressive wastewater treatment processes. In addition, the program expands green job opportunities across the State and builds upon a legacy of sustainable municipal works and entrepreneurship.

 

“These investments boost local economies and create new jobs, while also promoting our environmental sustainability. Central New York will soon see innovative solutions to threats to our rivers, lakes and streams – whether though wastewater treatment upgrades to green roofs installations,” Governor Paterson said. “I applaud President Obama, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and our Congressional Delegation for their work to secure these critical funds that promote economic recovery, development and environmental stewardship.”

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said: “These Green Innovations Projects will allow New Yorkers to confront a range of clean water issues in creative ways, and provide real solutions during these economically challenging times. Green infrastructure projects are helping us rebuild the foundations for prosperity that kept our economy strong in the past and are making us more sustainable for the future.”

 

Last March, the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) solicited projects to identify green infrastructure opportunities in need of funds. Officials from EFC, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and State Department of Health reviewed nearly 300 applications seeking nearly $468 million. The selected projects were then submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final approval. Each grant recipient must comply with the ARRA, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act and the New York State Revolving Fund requirements.

 

New York received $432 million through the ARRA for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $86 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The ARRA requires states to direct 20 percent of their stimulus funding to water quality projects that use innovative approaches to energy and water efficiency, incorporate stormwater infrastructure, and use innovative treatment technologies. A full list of the grant recipients announced today is available at  HYPERLINK "http://www.recovery.ny.gov/News/www.nysefc.org/greengrants" www.nysefc.org/greengrants.

 

Central New York projects to receive Green Innovation Grants include:

 

$3.2 million to the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District to help build a regional digester/bioenergy facility for agricultural areas in Upstate New York. The facility is projected to produce more than five million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The anaerobic digesters will process local manure and food waste, avoiding pollution of ground and surface waters and reducing the possibility for pathogens to be released into the environment.

$2.55 million to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, Chautauqua County, for the upgrade of existing digesters at the wastewater treatment facility, restoring the bio-solids process to allow the facility to effectively use the methane gas from the sludge digesters for power generation. 

$900,000 Onondaga County for a creekside revitalization project to integrate green infrastructure components including pervious pavement in walkways and parking areas, rain gardens, and bioretention swales to mitigate stormwater runoff into Onondaga Lake.

$585,000 to the Town of Richland, Oswego County, for the installation of two 50-kilowatt wind turbines at the Schoeller well site to power a new onsite treatment system for the water district.

$487,200 to the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, for the installation of solar power at the new Westcott Water Tanks, providing approximately 56,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable power per year to help power the City’s drinking water system.

$315,000 to the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, for the construction of a 50-kilowatt microturbine system at the Westcott Reservoir, generating approximately 450 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year to help offset the energy demands of the water system.

$235,000 to Onondaga County for the construction of a green roof for stormwater mitigation at the Onondaga County Correctional Facility in Jamesville, New York.

$180,000 to Onondaga County to provide rain barrels to homeowners and businesses in the Harbor Brook Sewershed in Syracuse to harvest stormwater runoff and mitigate stormwater impacts on Onondaga Lake.

$107,600 to the Village of Port Byron, Cayuga County, for the installation of 45 solar units, creating clean and renewable solar power at their wastewater treatment facility. 

For more information of New York State’s ARRA funds, please visit www.recovery.ny.gov. For more information the New York State Revolving Fund programs, please visit www.nysefc.org.