Press Releases
04/09/2018
Grant Funds Available for Marine Pumpout Programs to Protect Waters of Long Island Sound
Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that approximately $1 million in federal funds is anticipated to be available for boat sewage disposal facilities, or pumpout stations, on Long Island Sound and Candlewood Lake for the 2019 boating season, contingent upon the receipt of requested federal funds. The program is administered by DEEP with a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Clean Vessel Act Program. All recreational pumpout facilities in Connecticut offer free service to boaters.DEEP is seeking grant proposals from owners and operators of public or private marine facilities that wish to install a new marine sewage disposal facility (MSDF); facilities with existing MSDFs in need of substantial repairs or upgrades; and from those seeking funding to operate new or existing MSDFs, including pumpout boats and central vacuum pumpout systems which are incorporated within the marina or boatyard dock system. Grant proposals must be received by 4:00 pm. Thursday, May 31, 2018 to be considered eligible for this round of grant funding. Any proposals received after this time will be considered only as funds may be available.
“The continued success of pumpout programs for boaters significantly improves the water quality of Long Island Sound, increasing the quality of swimming, fishing and other recreational opportunities in Connecticut,” said DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee. “This latest round of grant funding will allow us to continue and expand those programs – as well to provide financial assistance to municipalities, small marine businesses and non-profit organizations along our shoreline.”
Up to 75 percent of the cost of an approved project may be reimbursed under the program, whose purpose is to increase the availability of proper waste handling facilities for boaters which will reduce the discharge or poorly treated or untreated sanitary wastes into the waters of Long Island Sound and its harbors, thereby helping to improve water quality.
Since 1993, DEEP in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has awarded more than $16 million in grants to Connecticut small businesses, municipalities and non-profit organizations to fund projects at marinas, yacht clubs, boat yards, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. Projects include more than 98 land-based pumpout facilities, 21 dump stations, 24 pumpout vessels to accommodate the removal of recreational marine sewage from vessels to preserve and protect water quality in Long Island Sound.
Funding for this program, known as the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program, comes from the Sport Fishing and Boating Trust Fund, which is supported by excise taxes on certain fishing and boating equipment and boat fuels. The CVA Grant Program helps keep coastal waters clean and safe for recreation by safely disposing of millions of gallons of boaters’ sewage annually. The Connecticut CVA program and its partners removed more than 1.3 million gallons of recreational boat sewage from Long Island Sound and Candlewood Lake in 2017.
For a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) click the following link or contact Sara Ganzer, Official Agency Contact, at (860) 424-4070 or by email at sara.ganzer@ct.gov.
Proposals must be received by 4:00 P.M. on Thursday, May 31, 2018 and must be submitted to: Sara Ganzer, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 79 Elm Street, 6th floor, Hartford CT 06106.
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