Mary Beth Polley | Fall 2000 Headlines

Environmental Bill May Bring $43.7 million to New England

By Mary Beth Polley

New England stands to receive $43.7 million to fund a variety of water resources projects, including $500,000 to study pollution in the Merrimack River Basin, if Congress acts on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) before it adjourns.

"The projects included in this bill strike a balance between restoring and protecting our fragile resources, and preserving a strong New Hampshire economy," Sen. Robert C. Smith (R-NH) said in a statement Monday. "I have heard from citizens and elected officials all across the state who need help with their Army Corps projects."

Sen. Smith, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, sponsored the bill and declared victory Monday after the legislation passed overwhelmingly 85-1 in the Senate.

"There is strong local support in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to address the problems of the Merrimack River," Sen. Smith said yesterday. "When I visited the basin earlier this year, I promised to help explore ways to improve the overall resource value of the watershed as a source of drinking water, as a recreational resource and as a critical component of the region's economy. This study will present an opportunity to explore alternatives to correct the numerous problems of the river and improve the overall resource value of the watershed."

WRDA authorizes almost $44 million in federal funding for New England projects but the legislation must first pass the House before it adjourns next month.

WRDA's main focus is to fund restoration efforts in the Florida Everglades, however, Sen. Smith was able to include funding for seven New England water projects. These projects will be joint efforts between the Army Corps of Engineers, local governments and citizens groups.

A bulk of the funding ($40 million) will go to New England Water Resources and Ecosystem Restoration projects. Under this provision, communities throughout New England will be able to submit proposals for local environmental projects such as efforts to stabilize the salmon population in New Hampshire. The Army Corps of Engineers will assess the proposals and fund those that will produce the most immediate and substantial results. Each project will need at least 25 percent in non-federal funding to meet the federal contribution.

Funding for the Merrimack River Valley will be used to support a comprehensive study of sources of river pollution and potential solutions. This study is the result of efforts on the parts of the communities of Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Nashua and Manchester to find solutions to pollution caused by sewage overflow in the Merrimack River.

"The driving force behind this is the fact that the communities are being ordered to spend a lot of money on combined sewage overflows," said Ralph Goodno, director of the Merrimack River Watershed Council. "The purpose of this study is to figure out what the right way to invest this money is and what will bring the water up to fishable and swimmable standards."

"The river, in general, does meet fishable and swimmable standard except during and after storm events," Goodno said. During heavy rains, local combined sewer systems along the Merrimack overflow and send raw sewage into the river, he said.

Under orders from the Environmental Protection Agency, communities along the Merrimack River have been ordered to clean up the pollution and create a long-term plan to control the waste problem, Goodno said.

"This authorization is money to get that project started," Goodno said.

Goodno estimates that the clean up project will take 15-20 years and the project cost between $500 million to $1 billion dollars.

"There are a number of communities along the Merrimack River which have combined sewer systems," said Richard Hogan, executive director of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District. "These communities are being asked to literally spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 20 years to control the problem. This study can provide additional understanding on how best to invest that money."

WRDA would also provided: $1.2 million to restore the Little River Salt Marsh in North Hampton, NH; $1 million to dredge the Mines Fall Park, $500,000 to identify and evaluate potential upland disposal sites for dredged material in New Hampshire; $100,000 to study the Piscataqua River; and $400,000 to dredge the Sagamore Creek Channel.