Sarbanes Announces Grant to Bolster Conservation Center in Baltimore
Congressman Sarbanes today announced that the Center for Aquatic Life and Conservation will receive a $200,000 "Brownfields" grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in the clean-up of a 13-acre property that will house the Animal Care and Conservation Education Center, a waterfront and environmental demonstration park, a public-access trail and a fishing pier.
The center is located along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River and is contaminated with heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and semi-volatile organic compounds.
"I would like to congratulate the Center for Aquatic Life for being selected to receive this grant," said Congressman Sarbanes. "This funding will go a long way in enhancing our efforts to clean up the Middle Branch River. It will create jobs and a space for our community to learn about protecting the natural resources we have in the surrounding area."
Clean-up of the site is expected to help improve the water quality of Middle Branch, which is a tributary to the Chesapeake and development of the site is expected to create jobs.