August 11, 2005

The Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester awarded 24 grants totaling $6 million to help local communities better manage their land resources and protect Michigan’s lakes and streams. The grants will provide 47 jobs to local communities and support Governor Jennifer M. Granholm’s Michigan’s Cool Cities Initiative.

Among the new grants are 13 projects that will help implement watershed management plans throughout Michigan. Watershed grants include four projects focused on the permanent protection of riparian corridors to protect water quality, and three projects focused on implementing low-impact development practices such as infiltration areas in parking lots to reduce polluted storm water runoff.

“These projects show our commitment to helping local communities address environmental issues,” said Director Chester. “The DEQ is honored to support these efforts.”

The grants also include 11 projects that will identify and correct illicit connections to storm sewers. Illicit connections include businesses and homes with toilets, sinks, or drains connected to storm sewers, allowing sewage to flow directly into the storm sewers without treatment. Identifying these illegal connections usually involves sampling at storm sewer outfalls and testing of individual toilets, sinks, and drains in the neighborhood. Entities with improperly connected drains are required to correct the problems.

Funding for these grants is through the Clean Michigan Initiative Clean Water Fund and Clean Michigan Initiative Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grant Program, both of which are administered by the DEQ’s Environmental Science and Services Division.

For the list of grant awards and further information, please go to the DEQ Web site at www.michigan.gov/deqnps.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised August 11, 2005 by Alice Stimpson acting for Pat Watson.