THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070090
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
The City of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County each was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department.
Suffolk's grant is to fund a local planner, and Isle of Wight's will fund a local environmental planner.
The awards were announced by Del. Robert E. Nelms. ``These funds will help the City of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County in their planning efforts for the future,'' he said.
Nelms serves as the chairman of the Republican Task Force on the Environment, as well as serving on the National Task Force on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources. He also served on Gov. George Allen's Transition Team for Natural Resources.
Nelms said: ``Local governments applied for these grants in the spring, and the state was able to fund 100 percent of this year's requests. These general-fund dollars go to the region of Virginia defined by the Chesapeake Bay Act as Tidewater, which encompasses from Fairfax County to the North Carolina line, and basically from Interstate 95 east to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.''
CBLAD, an agency in the Natural Resources Secretariat, administers the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and assists local governments in their efforts to improve and enhance the Ches-a-peake Bay and its tributaries from pollution caused by the use and development of land. The department works in support of local governments to implement programs that improve water quality while supporting a healthy economy.
Nelms explained that, ``the local government will not receive a check for $25,000 right off the bat. The locality will employ this individual and report to CBLAD on a quarterly basis. This provides oversight to ensure that the grant conditions are being met. The state then reimburses the locality on a quarterly basis for the position.''
For fiscal year 1996, which begins July 1, CBLAD will distribute $850,000 in grants to local governments to assist in their water quality improvement efforts and will expend an additional $125,000 in technical assistance to localities for the same purpose. by CNB