On Monday the Corbett Administration announced that the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA), has begun accepting applications for five programs established by the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund, to support conservation projects and environmental protection measures.
The new CFA programs provide $14 million in funding available for abandoned mine drainage, abatement and treatment, watershed restoration and protection, water quality data, greenways, trails and recreation, and orphan and abandoned well plugging programs in the state.
The act, which was signed into law on Feb. 14, 2012, created an impact fee based on wells drilled in the state.
Last year, the fee generated more than $204 million that is benefiting every Pennsylvanian. The majority of the revenues are distributed to local governments where drilling is taking place, with the remainder of the money used for statewide programs or distributed to counties based on population.
The program guidelines establish eligibility requirements for five separate programs:
The programs are administered jointly by the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the Department of Environmental Protection, under the direction of the CFA and DCNR.
For more information about the Act 13 Programs, visit www.newPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.
The new CFA programs provide $14 million in funding available for abandoned mine drainage, abatement and treatment, watershed restoration and protection, water quality data, greenways, trails and recreation, and orphan and abandoned well plugging programs in the state.
The act, which was signed into law on Feb. 14, 2012, created an impact fee based on wells drilled in the state.
Last year, the fee generated more than $204 million that is benefiting every Pennsylvanian. The majority of the revenues are distributed to local governments where drilling is taking place, with the remainder of the money used for statewide programs or distributed to counties based on population.
The program guidelines establish eligibility requirements for five separate programs:
- Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Program provides grants to restore and maintain stream reaches impaired by abandoned mine drainage and ultimately, to remove these streams from the Department of Environmental Resources Impaired Waters list.
- Baseline Water Quality Data Program provides grants to use the scientific principles and practices for water sample collection and analysis to document existing groundwater quality conditions on private water supplies.
- Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program provides grants for the planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks and beautification projects.
- Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging Program provides grants to provide mechanisms to plug abandoned and orphaned wells that have the potential to cause health, safety or environmental concerns.
- Watershed Restoration and Protection Program provides grants to restore and maintain stream reaches impaired by the uncontrolled discharge of nonpoint source polluted runoff and ultimately to remove these streams from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Impaired Waters list.
The programs are administered jointly by the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the Department of Environmental Protection, under the direction of the CFA and DCNR.
For more information about the Act 13 Programs, visit www.newPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.