New Funding Opportunity for Anderson County Watershed Protection - June 30th 2022

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Past pollution legal settlement provides grants for cleaner water 

The Anderson County Watershed Protection Council is seeking grant applications for projects that will protect or restore water quality in Anderson County, as well as nearby portions of the Savannah River watershed. Individual grant awards will be between $10,000 to $50,000 for citizen empowerment and education projects and up to $100,000 for water restoration and land conservation projects.

Working to steward settlement funds from the nearby 2014 Kinder Morgan gasoline pipeline spill, the advisory council is composed of volunteers from Anderson County Council, Board of Education, Soil and Water Conservation District; Upstate Forever; Savannah Riverkeeper; Clemson PSA; and the impacted community.

“We have designed this grant program to serve as a catalyst for local land use, outreach, and education projects that will reinvigorate and protect this critical watershed historically impacted by water pollution,” says Megan Chase, Upstate Forever’s state policy director.

Entities who should apply for grant funds include not-for-profit charitable corporations or trusts; South Carolina and Georgia state agencies; municipalities in the impacted area and any agency, commission, or instrumentality of such a municipality; and educators focused on water quality in the impacted watershed. 

“We are excited to launch this grant program in Anderson County,” says Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah Riverkeeper’s executive director. “It’s a new opportunity to engage local communities in water quality issues—a surefire way to safeguard the health and vitality of our waterways.”

Proposals must be complete and submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 29, 2022. For more information and the complete RFP, interested parties can visit the website at www.andersonwatercouncil.com or email info@andersonwatercouncil.com.

The mission of the Anderson County Watershed Protection Council is to assist in identifying, prioritizing, and funding projects that empower citizens to take action on existing and emerging threats to water resources and to restore water quality in the Savannah River watershed's impacted areas.