New funding to clean Sound

$2 million in grants for 20 projects

The state plans to use new federal funding to gain a better understanding of microplastic pollution in Long Island Sound and reopen a migratory fishway that has not been used by blueback herring in 300 years.

Other projects include using seaweed to remove pollution from Greenwich Harbor, studying water quality in the Norwalk and Stamford Harbors and preventing stormwater pollution in New Haven from entering the the Sound. “Over the years, important projects have been funded that promoted habitat restoration of coastal wetland areas as well as watershed management projects and opening many miles riverine habitat for migratory fish to spawn,” said Rob Klee, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The grants will help treat 1.9 million gallons of water, collect 37,000 pounds of floating trash, open six miles of river and restore 18 acres of coastal habitat for fish and wildlife, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said in announcing the awards.

Klee noted the $2 million allocation — the state’s portion of $2.6 million dedicated to Sound improvements — will fund 20 projects in Connecticut and four along the Connecticut River watershed.

“We have also witnessed the impacts of climate change, with additional projects funded to assist with improving resiliency and sustainability of our coastal and watershed habitats,” Klee noted.

“We are pleased that over $300,000 is being awarded to support resiliency and living shorelines restoration,” Klee said.

The grants will help treat 1.9 million gallons of water, collect 37,000 pounds of trash, open six miles of river and restore 18 acres of coastal habitat for fish and wildlife, the EPA said.

Plastic pollution

The study of microplastic pollution in waters off Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and West Haven is one of the larger projects funded by the grant money. The study will use nearly $200,000 in federal and matching funds.

The University of Connecticut will investigate the impact of microplastics on water, sediment and oysters. The project will also seek to educate the public about the pollution and develop management recommendations.

Microplastics are small, barely visible pieces of plastic that pollute the environment. They can come from many sources, including washing clothes, and often flow into large bodies of water from rivers.

Experts believe that as many as 51 trillion microplastic particles — 500 times more than stars in the galaxy — litter the seas and threaten marine wildlife by interfering with their internal systems.

“I know all of us share great excitement with, and are energized by, the depth and breadth of community commitment evidenced by these projects,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez.

The state’s Congressional delegation praised the overall allocation, saying it’s another step in protecting the Sound.

“These federal dollars will help local organizations and municipalities make important improvements to benefit the Sound’s resiliency and unique ecosystem,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, and the other members of the delegation said in a joint statement.

“With climate change becoming an increasing threat to Connecticut’s shoreline — this funding, along with continued community efforts and advocacy, is needed now more than ever,” the delegation said.

Migratory corridor

Another project will install a fishway at Pages Millpond Dam on the Farm River in North Branford.

The Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound will use $249,947 in federal money and $250,000 in matching funds to construct the fishway and open access to 5.3 miles of river and 4.2 miles of lake for alewife, blueback herring and the American eel.

The project will mark the first time in 300 years that access has been restored to the migratory corridor that runs into Long Island Sound, the EPA said.

The Nature Discovery Center will use about $140,000 to study water quality in the Norwalk and Saugatuck harbors and various rivers and brooks, including the Pequonnock and Saugatuck Rivers.

The SoundWaters Bioextraction Seaweed Farm will install a seaweed bed in the Greenwich and Stamford Harbors to “bioextract” pollution from the seawater.

Seaweed naturally absorbs nitrogen and uses it as food. The Western portion of the Sound suffers from excessive, life-choking nitrogen, the byproduct of insufficient wastewater treatment systems and more stagnant water.