DCED Accepting Applications for Act 13 Grants
The state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is now accepting applications for Act 13 programs. Eligibility includes municipalities, authorized organizations, higher education institutions, watershed organizations, and for-profit businesses.
Act 13 of 2012 established the Marcellus Legacy Fund and allocates funds to the Commonwealth Financing Authority for statewide initiatives that include abandoned mine drainage abatement; abandoned well plugging; sewage treatment; greenways, trails and recreation; baseline water quality data; watershed restoration; and flood control.
The state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is now accepting applications for Act 13 programs.
Application deadline: May 31, 2021
Eligibility:
Municipalities
Councils of Governments
Authorized Organizations
Institutions of Higher Education
Watershed Organization
For-Profit Businesses
Current Act 13 Grant Opportunities:
Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) Abatement & Treatment Program
Eligibility: Abandoned mine drainage, abatement, and treatment with the Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Program (AMDATP).
Opportunity: Projects which involve the reclamation of Abandoned Mine Well(s), construction of a new AMD site, remediation and repair of existing AMD project sites, operation and maintenance maintaining current AMD remediation sites, establishment of trust fund to ensure ongoing maintenance is achieved, and monitoring of water quality to track or continue to trace non-point source load reductions resulting from AMD remediation projects.
Funding: Grants shall be awarded to eligible applicants for projects that do not exceed $1,000,000. The grant requires a least a 15% match of the total project cost.
Baseline Water Quality Data Program
Eligibility: Initiatives to establish baseline water quality data on private water supplies using the Baseline Water Quality Data Program (BWQDP).
Opportunity: Projects which involve practices for water sample collection and analysis to document existing groundwater quality conditions on private water supplies.
Funding: Grants shall be awarded to eligible applicants for projects that do not exceed $250,000. The grant requires at least 15% match of the total project cost.
Flood Mitigation Program
Eligibility: Projects authorized by a flood protection authority, the Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or identified by a local government, for flood mitigation.
Opportunity: This could be a good funding source to address localized stream flooding due to siltation and debris deposits over time, for which few funding sources exist.
Funding: Grants shall not exceed $500,000 for any project. A 15% match of the total project cost is required.
Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program
Eligibility: Programs for planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks and beautification projects using the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program (GTRP). Projects which involve development, rehabilitation and improvements to public parks, recreation areas, greenways, trails and river conservation.
Opportunity: This could be a good way to leverage recreation funds that already exist within municipal budgets.
Funding: Grants shall not exceed $250,000 for any project. A 15% match of the total project cost is required.
Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging Program
Eligibility: Funding orphan or abandoned well plugging projects using the Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging Program (OAWP).
Uses: Projects which involve the cleaning out and plugging of abandoned and orphan oil and gas wells; stray gas mitigation systems; and well venting projects.
Funding: There is a maximum of $1,000,000 for any project.
Sewage Facilities Program
Eligibility: Initiatives for complying with the Act of January 24, 1966 (1965 P. L. 1535, No. 537), known as the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
Opportunity: Costs associated with the planning work required under Act 537.
Funding: Grants shall be awarded to eligible applicants up to $100,000. A 50% match of the total project cost is required.
Watershed Restoration and Protection Program
Eligibility: Projects which involve the construction, improvement, expansion, repair, maintenance or rehabilitation of new or existing watershed protection Best Management Practices (BMPs).
Opportunity: The overall goal of this program is to restore and/or maintain reaches of streams impaired by non-point source pollution. As such this grant could be used to implement NPDES MS4 Pollution Reduction Plans.
Funding: There is a maximum of $300,000 for any project. A 15% match of the total project cost is required.
Here to Help: Did you know that our teams can help you to acquire grant funding? Contact Andrew at andrew.shambach@ssmgroup.com
Project Highlight: Crane Support Analysis
SSM has conducted thorough inspections of Pier 5, both outside, underneath and dive inspection oversight.
An Interview with Jeff Thoms, PE
Project: Crane Support Analysis for Pier 5 at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center
Client: Rhoads Marine Industries
Describe the project:
A Chiquita Cargo Ship required its on-board crane to be serviced. To do so, several cranes were required to be positioned on the pier to achieve the pick. One of these cranes, a 600T mobile crane, is the largest of its kind on the east coast. SSM was tasked with mapping the exact locations of the crane outriggers to ensure there were no impacts to the pier.
Next to Pier 5 is Drydock #2 for which SSM performs biennial inspections for the City of Philadelphia. In this photo is the caisson that keeps the Delaware River out of the drydock. This location happens to be the approach flight path for Philadelphia Int’l Airport.
What was the service SSM provided?
SSM has conducted thorough inspections of Pier 5, both outside, underneath and dive inspection oversight. We know this pier and what it’s capable of doing. SSM was provided with the crane loading information for the pick and marked the locations for cribbing on the peer.
What makes this project one of your favorites?
What inspired me about this project is depicted in the top photo. This is the kind of activity that this pier is meant for and to see it in action was awe-inspiring.
SSM continues design and engineering work for the pier through inspections and design of repairs.
Jeff Thoms, PE is a Senior Structural Engineer in SSM’s Facilities Division. He has been a part of the SSM team for 7 years. He’s a girl dad, a dog dad, and a winter-time fun connoisseur.
#ProblemSolved: Our Facilities Team is here to help. Send an email to Patrick McCoy, PE, LEED AP, CSDP at patrick.mccoy@ssmgroup.com or give a call to 610-898-3008