(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. announced today that it will provide technical assistance to the Buffalo Sewer Authority to expand the use of green infrastructure to reduce water pollution and enhance Buffalo's resilience to the impacts of climate change. The E.P.A. will assist Buffalo in assessing paved and unsightly vacant lots, which contribute to stormwater runoff and pollution of local waters. The newly announced assistance augments a $500,000 grant provided to Buffalo in March 2014 to help fund green infrastructure plans in the city. The plans are expected to prevent nearly five million gallons of stormwater runoff per year from flowing into Lake Erie.
"The E.P.A. is very excited to assist the Buffalo region in assessing how vacant lots across Buffalo contribute to stormwater pollution," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "The expansion of green infrastructure on vacant lots will promote sustainability and expand plans to enhance water quality and withstand the increasing impacts of flooding related to climate change."
The E.P.A. will assist the Buffalo Sewer Authority in developing a method for assessing vacant lots throughout Buffalo to better understand how much polluted rain water runs off these areas and how it impacts Buffalo's combined sewer system. Combined sewer systems, which carry wastewater from homes and businesses and runoff from storm drains, can be overwhelmed during heavy rains and discharge untreated sewage into local waters. These assessments will evaluate conditions such as location grading, vegetation, impervious surfaces and stormwater retention. This will allow Buffalo to prioritize work to aesthetically enhance vacant lots and dramatically reduce polluted run-off by making them part of the overall green infrastructure project for the city. The project to revamp vacant lots will help the Buffalo Sewer Authority reduce combined sewer overflows into the Niagara River and will serve as a model for similar communities that manage both large-scale demolitions on vacant lots and combined sewer systems.
Today's announcement comes just weeks after the E.P.A. approved the Buffalo Sewer Authority's 20-year project to reduce the amount of sewage and stormwater run-off that flows into the Niagara River. This project includes a $93 million investment in green infrastructure as part of an overall $390 million project to control stormwater run-off.
Green infrastructure is an environmentally friendly technique to manage stormwater. It uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier, more resilient urban environments. This type of infrastructure can replace more traditional "gray" solutions using pipes and concrete. Green infrastructure, which includes green roofs, permeable pavement and other surfaces, rain gardens and restored wetlands, mimics nature by soaking up and storing water.
Follow E.P.A. Region two on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and Facebook at
http://facebook.com/eparegion2
