Nov. 15, 2001 – Persons interested in applying for "nonpoint source pollution control management implementation projects" grants can attend public discussion meetings in early December.
The Planning and Natural Resource Department's Division of Environmental Protection has scheduled two meetings for potential applicants.
A St. Croix session will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 in DPNR's main conference room at 45 Mars Hill.
A St. Thomas session will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Curriculum Center, Anna's Retreat.
Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that all inhabitants of an area contribute to. It is caused by pollutants moving over and through the land surface and eventually being deposited during rainfall runoff in wetlands, coastal waters, and even underground sources of water.
Pollutants include fertilizers, insecticides, oil, grease, construction site sediment, bacteria from livestock and faulty septic systems, and airborne deposits.
For more information on this kind of pollution and what damage it is doing to Virgin Islands watersheds and coastal waters, go to the site of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water.
Grant funds totaling $307,492, from the U.S. EPA through the Federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h), are available for fiscal year 2002, said a release. Funds are for projects that implement "best management practices" in priority watershed areas and education to critical audiences.
The primary focus of the meetings is to educate the public on the grant application process and discuss new ideas with applicants. DEP encourages applicants to come prepared with potential projects. While most criteria and procedures remain the same for this year's grants, new guidelines were issued in September.
If applicants are unable to attend the scheduled meetings, they may obtain information from Syed Syedali in the Division of Environmental Protection at Mars Hill, telephone 773-0565, or email videpstx@viaccess.net.
