Federal funds through Clean Vessel Act grant program support recreational boating infrastructure & will prevent marine sewage from spilling into the Bay
WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to protect the health of Rhode Island’s waters, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse announced today that Rhode Island will receive $457,709 through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Clean Vessel Act (CVA) grant program. The federal grant will be used to procure three new pumpout barges and one new pumpout boat that will assist recreational boaters in properly disposing of on-board septic waste.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) administers the program and competitively awards the grants for new or upgraded marine pumpout facilities to local grantees through the DEM Office of Water Resources. Each CVA grant requires a 25-percent match.
Under state and federal law, it is illegal for boats to discharge any sewage – treated or untreated – into the waters of Rhode Island. The three pumpout barges and pumpout boat will provide boaters in marine waters of Narragansett Bay and coastal Rhode Island an opportunity to conveniently unload waste in a safe and sanitary way.
“Keeping our waters clean and healthy is good for our economy and the environment. As more boaters enjoy time on the water, we’ve got to ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to meet the growing need for safe and convenient sewage disposal. This new federal funding will help protect Rhode Island’s waterways and ensure there are free, convenient, and efficient pumping options,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “Over the years, the Clean Vessel Act has prevented millions of gallons of untreated sewage from polluting our waters, including Narragansett Bay.”
“We have made decades of enormous progress cleaning up Narragansett Bay to the great benefit of the local economy and our quality of life in Rhode Island. This federal investment will help keep our treasured Bay and other Ocean State waterways clean and free of sewage,” said Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Congress passed the Clean Vessel Act in 1992. The law provides funds for the construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of sewage pumpout stations and dump stations for recreational boats, as well as information and education programs that encourage boaters to use pumpout facilities.
This year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded over $17.7 million in CVA grants to 21 states.
Funding for CVA grants are provided through the federal Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which is derived from excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, import duties and interest on the fund.
Owners of Rhode Island marinas may apply for grants for projects located at the owner’s marina using DEM’s application. A non-owner operator may apply for such a grant, but only if the owner co-signs the application and the grant award.
