WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (CT-4) applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) on Thursday for awarding the Five Star Urban Waters Grant to Earthplace, Inc. in Westport. Five Star Urban Water Grants are awarded to organizations to implement projects aimed at improving water quality and environmental conditions. Earthplace, Inc. will use these funds to work with communities to identify and mitigate sewage pollution along the Long Island Sound.

“People here in Connecticut depend on a clean and healthy Long Island Sound, and this grant will go a long way in helping with our efforts to protect it,” the members said. “Whether it is tourism, shell fishing or manufacturing, a healthy Sound is critical to Connecticut’s maritime economy. We will continue to fight for funding to make investments for future generations.”

"Harbor Watch is so grateful for the support of the NFWF Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. With this grant, we will work to improve water quality in Bruce Brook, the Norwalk River, and the Rippowam River in the coming year. The grant will be instrumental in building and growing partnerships with the towns in those watersheds, including Stamford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stratford, and others, to find and mitigate sources of pollution. The impact of this grant will extend beyond those waterways themselves by also improving conditions for the popular beaches and valuable shellfish beds downstream. We are so excited to have been selected for this award!" said Dr. Sarah Crosby, Director of Harbor Watch (Earthplace, Inc.)

Long Island Sound spans more than 1,300 square miles of coastline that are home to hundreds of diverse wildlife species, and is a proven economic driver, generating over $17 billion annually in tourism, fishing, shell fishing, and boating for the state.


###