Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that for the 2018 boating season, 43 marine facilities will receive $997,188 in funding under the annual Federal Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program.  Four of the 43 grant recipients will receive funding for the construction of new or replacement pumpout stations or boats and the remaining funds are for the continued operation and maintenance of land based and mobile pumpout boats.

In an effort to improve water quality in navigable waterways within Connecticut, this program, which is managed through the DEEP’s Boating Division, provides federally funded matching grants for qualifying projects that provide recreational boat sewage disposal facilities, more commonly known as pumpouts.
“With the support of Connecticut boaters and pumpout facility operators, we continue to exceed our previous volume of waste removal under this program,” said Commissioner Robert Klee. “With all of Long Island Sound designated a ‘no discharge zone,’ the goal is to keep building on this successful program to keep our waters clean and healthy, and to continue providing excellent water-based recreational opportunities in Connecticut.”

While the volume for the 2017 boating season is not yet available, the past several years have shown an increase in boater usage of this program with the volume of waste captured and kept out of the water, now topping 1 million gallons a year.  This is keeping Long Island and Fishers Island Sounds, and their tributaries, cleaner and more enjoyable for boating, swimming, and fishing and improving the overall ecological health of these important waterways.

Funding for this program, known as the  Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program, comes from the Sport Fishing and Boating Trust Fund, which is supported by excise taxes on certain fishing and boating equipment and boat fuels.  DEEP partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and issues grants to marine facilities and programs through the CVA Grant Program.  This program helps keep coastal waters clean and safe for recreation by safely disposing of millions of gallons of boaters’ sewage annually. The marine facilities provide 25% of the cost of each project. 

For more information about this program, visit the DEEP Boating webpage at www.ct.gov/deep/boating or contact Kate Hughes Brown, BIG/CVA Program Coordinator, at (860) 447-4340 or by email at kate.brown@ct.gov.