The Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County recently announced the recipients of the 2015 Pollution Recovery Fund Grants in a press release:
Six applicants will receive a total of $249,722 in grants. The money is earmarked for funding restoration of polluted areas, assisting in mitigation of the effects of pollution and to otherwise enhance pollution control activities within Hillsborough County.
The awardees:
McKay Bay South Oyster Reef Community Construction Project
Applicant: Tampa Bay Watch
Grant Amount: $48,010
This project will install approximately 3,500 linear feet of new oyster shell bars and four circular oyster beds along the southwestern shoreline of McKay Bay to create a greater surface area for settling oyster larvae and create habitat niches for other benthic organisms. This project will improve long-term water quality conditions through the natural biological filtration services that oysters provide.
Tampa Bay Dredged Hole Habitat Assessment
Applicant: Tampa Bay Estuary Program
Grant Amount: $35,880
This project will assess the current ecological value of an identified polluted area in McKay Bay that has recently been restored through the strategic filling of a dredged hole. This project fits into a larger effort to study 10 dredged holes in Tampa Bay to assess their current ecological value and to make management recommendations for future restoration or protection.
Trash Free Waters
Applicant: Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
Grant Amount: $30,000
The Trash Free Waters Initiative will directly address litter and debris removal found in residential storm water discharges. Project will conduct water based activities to restore the Hillsborough River and Alafia River and their tributaries to their pristine state. The activities include land and water based litter and debris abatement projects. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful plans to purchase materials and equipment for water based cleanups, and hire a contractor to create a litter removal web application and to update the Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful website to make volunteer registration and data tracking easier.
Determining Sources and Risk of Fecal Pollution in Tampa Bay Tributaries
Applicant: University of South Florida
Grant Amount: $50,000
This project proposes to use microbial source tracking (MST) to determine the dominant sources of fecal pollution in several Hillsborough County water bodies that are known to have high levels of fecal indicator bacteria. Samples will be tested for bacterial and viral pathogens, and nutrient levels. Multivariate statistical analysis will be used to determine correlations among MST “markers” (genes of host-associated microorganisms), pathogens, and nutrient levels in water and sediments. Risk to human health from recreation in these water bodies will be calculated using risk assessment tools.
Agriculture Pesticide Collection
Applicant: Hillsborough County
Grant Amount: $40,000
Pesticides will be collected from farms throughout Hillsborough County. The collection will occur at the County contracted Hazardous Waste Collection Provider site. The intent of this program is to eliminate potential public health and environmental hazards from the long term storage of cancelled, suspended, and unusable agricultural pesticides.
Little Manatee River SAV Restoration Project
Applicant: Sea & Shoreline LLC
Grant Amount: $45,832
This project will enhance aquatic habitat in the Little Manatee River by restoring submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and measuring the effectiveness of two unique planting methods. Tape grass (Vallisneria americana) will be reintroduced into the river through GrowSAV Herbivory Exclusion Cages and mechanical planting. Data collected will be compiled and used to create in-situ expansion rates, GIS expansion maps, and statistically determine the effectiveness of the two planting technologies.
The Pollution Recovery Fund Grant Program has awarded $8.1 million since 1987. Funding is generated from court judgements and civil settlements related to pollution cases in Hillsborough County.