News Releases from Region 05

EPA awards over $4.5 million to Ohio for water quality protection

CHICAGO (November 8, 2017) − The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  has awarded $4,556,900 to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to improve the health of Ohio’s rivers and streams. The funding is awarded under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, which authorizes EPA to provide grant money to states to implement nonpoint pollution control programs.  

“This grant is another demonstration of the value of state and federal partnerships,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Providing funds directly to Ohio is an excellent example of EPA empowering a state to address its unique and critical environmental challenges.”

“Federal dollars continue to be a vital part of Ohio’s comprehensive strategy to improve water quality in our state,” said Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler. “These partnerships at the federal level, along with our collaborations with other states and our local communities, help to increase the number of Ohio’s water bodies safe for swimming and fishing and that often serve as sources for public drinking water systems.” 

EPA funding will support Ohio’s active reporting on water quality standards and watershed planning for impaired rivers and streams. Funding will also support outreach activities to educate the general public and landowners about nonpoint source pollution.

Nonpoint source pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and man-made pollutants, depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground water. Sources include agricultural runoff, unpermitted urban runoff, abandoned mine drainage, failing onsite disposal systems, and pollution caused by changes to natural stream channels.

Congress enacted Section 319 of the Clean Water Act in 1987, establishing a national program to control nonpoint sources of water pollution. Through Section 319, the EPA provides states, territories, and tribes with guidance and grant funding to implement their nonpoint source programs and to support local watershed projects to improve water quality. Collectively this work has restored over 6,000 miles of streams and over 164,000 acres of lakes since 2006. Hundreds of additional projects are underway across the country.

Learn more about successful nonpoint source projects at https://www.epa.gov/nps/nonpoint-source-success-stories.

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