MEDFORD, MA – The City of Medford is one of five municipalities to receive grants from the state to treat polluted runoff and preserve coastal water quality.

Medford received $125,000 in state funding, which will be used to construct a gravel wetland to treat contaminated stormwater runoff and reduce harmful contaminants reaching the Mystic River. According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the project will improve water quality in the river, preserving critical habitat for river herring, and build on previous work to prioritize stormwater treatment sites.

A total of $346,292 in grants was awarded by the Office of Coastal Zone Management's Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant Program earlier this week. In addition to Medford, Milton, Plymouth, Salem and Yarmouth also received grants. "Our administration is committed to supporting efforts across the Commonwealth to protect the environment and keep coastal waters clean," said Gov. Charlie Baker in an announcement. "These grants provide direct funding to municipalities to work at the local level to address sources of pollution impacting waterways and ultimately the coast."



The aim of the Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant Program is to improve coastal water quality by reducing non-point sources of pollution. That is, when contaminants are picked up by rain, snow melt and other types of flowing water and carried to a large body of water. "For the last 20 years, CZM's Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant Program has provided funding and technical assistance for community-based efforts to protect coastal water quality," said CZM Director Bruce Carlisle in a release. "This year's grants highlight the commitment of our cities and towns to keeping nonpoint source pollution from degrading our coasts, and CZM continues to be a proud partner in these efforts."