NH Receives $936,308 EPA Grant for Environmental Programs

 Photo: East Inlet in Pittsburg. Photo: NHDES/Philip Haskell  

The NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) received a $936,308 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help protect human health and the environment throughout the state.

The funds are part of a performance partnership grant (PPG), which are given to states and some local governments to help implement environmental programs that they have authority to run. This particular grant is one of several installments of multi-year incremental PPG funding to NH DES, bringing the total funds granted in Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017 to $9,270,514.

“EPA is providing funds directly to New Hampshire so that the state may determine how best to address its unique and critical environmental challenges,” says Scott Pruitt, EPA administrator. “EPA grants to our partners like NH DES give states the flexibility to protect their resources and grow their economy while solving real environmental problems in local communities.”

Robert Scott, NHDES commissioner, notes that “NHDES continues to rely heavily upon the funding provided through the annual US EPA PPG to support many of our core programs and activities. The consolidation of several grant programs into a single award allows us to reduce administrative costs and direct federal funds to meet the environmental priorities of both US EPA and New Hampshire.”

This grant will help support the state’s effort to reduce air and water pollution, improve waste management and promote pollution prevention and sustainable practices. NHDES will use a portion of the funding on public drinking water maintenance and supervision as well as public beach protection.

The PPG funds being provided will support the state to continue operation of its environmental programs while giving greater flexibility to address environmental priorities and strengthen partnership with EPA. NHDES will administer environmental programs for air, water and waste with flexibility to direct resources where they are most needed to address environmental and public health priorities.

Performance partnership grants allow recipients to use EPA awards with greater flexibility for priority environmental problems or program needs, streamline paperwork and accounting procedures to reduce administrative costs, and try cross-program initiatives and approaches that were difficult to fund under traditional category grants.