Virginia DEQ awards $19M to reduce water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay

Four local projects are among the nine statewide awarded a total of $19 million in Virginia DEQ grants aimed at reducing water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay as part of the Pay-For-Outcomes Nonpoint Source Pollution Reduction grant program.

Nonpoint pollution sources do not usually come from one place like a pipe but instead run off from larger areas and are the largest manageable sources of pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay.

The grant program provides payments based on the amount of pollution directly removed or prevented from entering the Chesapeake Bay.

The DEQ says the program, which is in the pilot phase, will remove approximately 580,000 pounds of nitrogen from the Chesapeake Bay at an average cost of $32.73 per pound. This is the equivalent of one year’s run-off from more than 52,000 acres of parking lots, roads and rooftops.

Awardees were selected using a rigorous scoring method to calculate expected impacts to pollution.

Thirty applications were scored based on the confidence of the project’s success, environmental benefits, readiness to proceed, and local government involvement.

“This innovative Pay-For-Outcomes program empowers Virginia’s restoration experts to lead the charge in Bay restoration,” said Joe Wood, a senior scientist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

“By rewarding tangible outcomes associated with pollution reductions, we’re unlocking the ingenuity of partners to develop and implement the most effective solutions for a healthier Chesapeake Bay,” Wood said. “Linking payments directly to environmental outcomes ensures that our investments yield the greatest possible benefit for water quality, offering a clear pathway to cleaner streams, rivers, and Chesapeake Bay.”

View more information about the Pay-for-Outcomes grant program on DEQ’s website.

The local projects

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• The Conservation Innovation Fund (Augusta County, Rockingham County: $2.66 million) will convert 706 acres of corn and soybean fields into a sterile form of giant miscanthus, which requires no nitrogen fertilizer and, in fact, fixes nitrogen in the soil. As a result, the project will stop approximately 172,200 pounds of nitrogen from reaching the Bay over 10 years.
• Keystone Streams (Albemarle County, Augusta County, Rappahannock County, Richmond County: $588,500) will restore 44 acres of native forest to current agricultural lands by removing invasive species and planting native trees. The project will stop approximately 29,200 pounds of nitrogen from reaching the Bay.
• MOVA Technologies (Shenandoah Valley: $1.3 million) will filter and collect ammonia gas, a source of nitrogen that falls on lands and waters near poultry houses, preventing its release into the environment. This project will stop an amount of ammonia equivalent to approximately 47,100 pounds of nitrogen from reaching the Bay.
• Virginia Dairyman’s Association (Amelia County, Augusta County, Fauquier County, Rockingham County: $4.2 million) will prevent the release of approximately 115,600 pounds of nitrogen from at least seven farms. This will be achieved by adopting nitrogen reduction practices tailored to specific farms. These practices may include changes to feed management, manure handling, and fertilizer application.