Montpelier, Vt. — Governor Phil Scott today announced the recipients of nearly $2.2 million in federal funds for municipal grant projects under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for stormwater quality improvements across Vermont.

“Vermont’s waterways are one of our greatest assets and improving water quality is a priority for my Administration,” said Scott. “Projects like these help strengthen our environment and infrastructure, as well as give communities the chance to raise the bar when it comes to planning and environmental protection.”

In a joint statement, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said, “Ensuring that we protect our lakes, rivers, and streams is a responsibility of all Vermont communities and all levels of government. We know that each community has distinct needs, from large storm water investments that will cost millions of dollars, to smaller transportation improvements that will prevent and reduce runoff from our roads. These funds are a visible demonstration of that understanding and reflect our unity in taking steps large and small to improve water quality in our state.”

As a senior member of the Senate public works committee, Sanders successfully fought to bring more than $200 million a year over five years to the state of Vermont to improve and repair our roads and bridges, as well as fund important environmental initiatives like the Transportation Alternatives Program. Vermont’s stormwater infrastructure is projected to need $728 million in investments over the next 20 years.

The State of Vermont has reserved TAP funds for SFY18 and SFY19 for municipal environmental mitigation projects relating to stormwater and highways, including eligible salt and sand shed projects. The TAP committee chose 12 Vermont cities and towns to receive funds this year:

Town of Bridgewater, for a new salt shed;

Town of Castleton, for a stormwater management scoping study of the Staso Road area;

Town of Derby, for salt shed improvement;

Town of Duxbury, for a scoping study of Camels Hump Road;

Town of Fair Haven, for a new salt shed;

Town of Franklin, for stream bank stabilization and replacement of a failed concrete box culvert with an upsized culvert;

Town of Middletown Springs, for a new salt shed scoping study;

Town of Montgomery, for stream bank stabilization on the Trout River including bio-engineering techniques, toe protection and a new floodplain bench;

Town of Norwich, for the replacement and upsizing of culverts on Tigertown Road;

Town of Pittsford, for a new salt shed;

Town of Stratton, for the replacement of a corrugated metal culvert with a larger concrete box culvert on Mountain Road; and

City of Vergennes, for a new salt shed.

“While we are committed to making traditional transportation infrastructure investments, this funding will help municipalities address stormwater-specific needs that will have a big impact on Vermont’s water quality, enhancing commerce and tourism related to our waterways,” said Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn.

The TAP committee includes representatives from the Agency of Transportation, the Agency of Natural Resources, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies and members of the Vermont House and Senate. For more information, visit https://vtrans.vermont.gov/highway/local-projects/transport-alt.

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