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EPA Seeking Organization to Host New York-New Jersey Harbor and Estuary Program EPA to Hold Informational Session on June 26, 2013 in New York City

Release Date: 06/11/2013
Contact Information: Contact: John Martin, (212) 637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov

      (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting statements of interest from organizations interested in hosting the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program. The Harbor & Estuary Program, which has worked to protect and restore waterways throughout the New York-New Jersey Harbor for over 25 years, is currently located at the EPA Region 2 office in New York City. The EPA has determined that having the program hosted by an outside non-federal organization will increase the opportunities for partnerships between public and private entities and will align the program with the vast majority of estuary programs throughout the country, which are largely hosted by outside groups. The organization chosen to host the program will receive an EPA grant to support its work.

      Congress established the National Estuary Program in the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act. Its purpose is to promote the development and implementation of comprehensive management plans for estuaries of national significance that are threatened by pollution, development or overuse. At the request of the governors of New York and New Jersey, the EPA accepted the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary into the National Estuary Program in 1988. Since that time, it has been an effective partnership for advancing regional efforts to achieve the goals of the Clean Water Act for fishable and swimmable waters.

      Organizations interested in hosting the Harbor & Estuary Program can download the statement of interest request, which includes application instructions, at the following link: www.epa.gov/region2/water/hep-soi.pdf

      The EPA expects to select a host entity by September 30, 2013.

      Informational Meeting – June 26
      Potential host organizations are invited to attend an informational meeting on June 26, 2013 at 10 a.m. at the EPA’s offices at 290 Broadway in New York, Room 27A. EPA representatives will provide information about serving as the host entity and answer questions. Interested parties who are unable to attend in person can participate through a webinar. Those interested in attending in person or via webinar must email WatershedManagement.Region2@epa.gov by June 19, 2013.

      More information on the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program, including work products, committee proceedings, planning documents and other details can be found at http://harborestuary.org

      Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2

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