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EPA Announces Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants of $1.7 Million to Cleveland Area

Release Date: 09/13/2012
Contact Information: Peter Cassell, 312-886-6234, [email protected] (news media only)

Chicago (Sept. 13, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Agency has announced two Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, totaling over $1.7 million, to improve water quality in the Cleveland area.

The grants were announced yesterday by EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Persciasepe at Great Lakes Week in Cleveland. Over the last three years, GLRI has provided more than $29.8 million for EPA grants to improve Great Lakes water quality by restoring watersheds.

“These are the types of programs we’ll need to invest in if we want to build upon the progress we’ve already made to clean up the Great Lakes and all of our country’s cherished waters," said EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe.

The Chagrin River Watershed Partners Inc. received $770,250 to install green infrastructure projects in the Newell/Ward Creek watershed. At the Great Lakes Mall, impervious surface material in the mall’s parking lot will be replaced with pervious concrete. This will allow stormwater to infiltrate into the ground rather than enter the storm sewer system and will reduce the amount of contaminants such as sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus discharged from the watershed into the Great Lakes.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency received $996,902 to accelerate implementation of "green" stormwater control practices in Cuyahoga County to reduce the amount of contaminants discharged into the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.

“These demonstration projects will provide contemporary, affordable alternatives to managing urban storm water runoff,” said Ohio EPA Director Scott Nally. “Ultimately, such efforts will reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the Cuyahoga River watershed and Lake Erie.”

“Chagrin River Watershed Partners Inc. is looking forward to working with the cities of Mentor, Willoughby and Eastlake and Great Lakes Mall on this exciting project to restore this tributary to the Chagrin River and Lake Erie,” said Amy Brennan, Director, Chagrin River Watershed Partners.

The GLRI, initially proposed by President Obama in February 2009, is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in over two decades. EPA is one of 16 federal agencies working to implement the GLRI Action Plan, which is available at http://www.glri.us