Westmoreland County Awarded $2.2 Million in State Environmental Improvement Grants: Westmoreland County receives more funding than any other county

Posted 08-09-2002

Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Balya today congratulated the recipients of more than $2.2 million in state funds for environmental improvements throughout the county. The grants to Westmoreland County conservation organizations, awarded through the Commonwealth's "Growing Greener" program, are more than any other county in the state.

"This remarkable achievement is a testament to the spirit of the people of Westmoreland County, who care so deeply about their natural environmental and work hard to improve it," Balya said. "These projects will touch every corner of the county by cleaning up acid mine drainage, identifying pollution sources in our waterways, helping our farmers employ conservation methods, and educating county residents about the importance of environmental stewardship.

"The environmental projects that are being funded through these grants will go a long way toward making Westmoreland County an even better place to live and do business. The hard-working and dedicated people who are undertaking these endeavors should be commended, and I encourage more people to get involved in efforts to improve the environment in our county."

In addition to receiving more money than any other county, Westmoreland County also boasts the second-largest grant awarded in the state -- $1.2 million to the Sewickley Creek Watershed Association of Youngwood for a project to clean up acid mine drainage in Sewickley Township.

Westmoreland County organizations were awarded nine grants for projects throughout the county. The following is a list of the grant recipients:

• Loyalhanna Watershed Association, Inc. (Ligonier): $98,420 for the assessment and restoration of the Loyalhanna Creek watershed in Ligonier, Cook, Unity, and Derry Townships;

• Mountain Watershed Association Inc. (Melcroft): $41,200 for an assessment of the Upper Indiana Creek Watershed in Donegal Township;

• Municipality of Murrysville: $106,050 for the installation of municipal best management conservation practices;

• Saint Vincent College (Unity Township): $221,079 for an acid mine drainage treatment project using activated iron sludge on the Lower Saxman Run in Latrobe and Unity Township;

• Sewickley Creek Watershed Association (Youngwood): $1,211,515 for Phases I and II of a remediation project to treat the Lowber acid mine drainage discharge at the confluence of Sewickley Creek and the Youghiogheny River;

• Turtle Creek Watershed Association, Inc. (Wilmerding): $206,007.30 for Phase III of an abandoned mine drainage abatement project along Turtle Creek in Penn Township;

• Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (Greensburg): $37,122 for countywide acid mine drainage education and outreach and $93,675 for an expansion of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Clearinghouse; and

• Westmoreland County Conservation District (Greensburg): $227,960 for the installation of agricultural best management practices in the Middle Youghiogheny Watershed, which covers East Huntingdon, South Huntingdon, Mt. Pleasant, and Donegal Townships.

The grants are part of $35 million in funds awarded statewide by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The state's "Growing Greener" program, established in 1999, provides funding for local environmental improvement projects, including watershed restoration and protection, abandoned mine reclamation, oil and gas well plugging, and education and outreach.

For more information about environmental improvements in Westmoreland County, visit the Westmoreland Conservation District at www.wcdpa.com.

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