U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $3,528,000 to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to improve the health of Indiana’s watersheds. The funding is awarded under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, which authorizes EPA to provide grant money to states to implement nonpoint pollution control programs.
“EPA continues to place a high priority on protecting lakes and streams from nonpoint source pollution, such as nutrient runoff,” said Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp. “By working together with our state partners we are able to make an even greater impact in restoring water quality.”
“Important nonpoint source water pollutants in Indiana include sediment, nutrients, oil, fertilizer and bacteria, which make up the primary pollutants impacting water quality in Indiana today,” said IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott. “These funds will help to reverse the impact of these sources and clean up Indiana waterways.”
This funding is one part of EPA’s overall effort to ensure that America’s waters are clean and safe. It will support nonpoint source implementation projects including a variety of structural and non-structural best management practices, watershed planning, monitoring, technology demonstrations and a variety of education and outreach programs.
This year, EPA is distributing more than $165 million in Section 319 grants to states, territories and tribes to reduce nonpoint runoff in urban and rural settings, including efforts to reduce excess nutrients that can enter our waters and cause public health and environmental challenges. Over the last two years, states restored over 80 waters and reduced over 17 million pounds of nitrogen, nearly 4 million pounds of phosphorus and 3.5 million tons of excess sediment through Section 319 projects.
