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For Immediate Release
November 30, 2000

White Announces $210,000 in Growing Greener Environmental Protection Grants

Harrisburg – State Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21) today announced the awarding of nearly $210,000 in state environmental protection grants to aid several initiatives in the region.

The five grants were awarded through the Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection program – or "Growing Greener" – which was created last year by legislation sponsored by White.

The senator announced the following grants:

• $120,000 awarded to Stream Restoration Inc. for a project to treat acid mine discharge into Slippery Rock Creek. The grant will be used to build an anoxic limestone drain and an associated half-acre wetland to treat the iron-containing discharge. The project will increase the alkalinity in two miles of the creek and, as a result, restore four acres of wildlife habitat at the site. The success of using a manufactured soil substitute in reclaiming mined areas will also be evaluated. All aspects of the project will include public outreach and education.
• $60,000 awarded to the Lawrence County Conservation District to reclaim 15 acres of an abandoned mine site. The project will include minimizing a dangerous high wall, controlling surface runoff and establishing vegetation.
• $11,344 awarded to the Lawrence County Conservation District to create an education/outreach program focusing on watershed management practices of the Amish community, including stream bank fencing, barnyard stabilization and pasture management. The conservation district will hold five workshops in the Amish community on best management practices for watersheds, write three newspaper articles on the subject and conduct in-person visits. The goal is to start a watershed organization with at least one Amish member.
• $10,000 awarded to the Buffalo Township Municipal Authority to provide an area alongside the Butler/Freeport Community trail to be used as an educational display. The display will explain how the adjacent Buffalo Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant works and what effect the advent of public sewage facilities has had on the watershed.
• $8,389 awarded to the Butler County Conservation District to complement local conservation efforts in the Connoquenessing Creek watershed. Soil fertility testing will be provided to about 40 farms covering 2,000 acres as a tool to educate farmers on proper soil nutrient management for water quality protection. Soil test results will be compiled to create a soil fertility index for the watershed.

"Growing Greener is matching much needed financial resources with volunteers and organizations that have taken the initiative to clean up our environment," said White. "Education and outreach is an important component of Growing Greener, and shows how each citizen can help to protect and preserve our natural resources."

The grants were awarded by the state Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection Grant Program.

CONTACT: Patrick Henderson (717) 787-9684