00A01623

**Description:** The purpose of this agreement is to provide assistance to Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to implement its project to support the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to protect and restore Long Island Sound by upgrading wastewater treatment facilities to remove nitrogen in Massachusetts waterbodies that are in the Long Island Sound watershed.

**Activities:** Specifically, under the first year of this grant the recipient will provide funds to the municipalities of Gardner, MA and Pittsfield, MA. In Gardner, upgrades to the city's wastewater treatment plant aeration system will be completed to reliably remove total nitrogen from the wastewater effluent discharge.

The objective of the project is to complete upgrades to the secondary treatment system for a more permanent, long-term total nitrogen reduction system.

The two activities in Pittsfield include: (1) an alternatives analysis for increased nitrogen removal at the Pittsfield wastewater treatment plant; (2) installation of increased process monitoring and control of the aeration system through installation of automated butterfly valves on the air feeder pipes to each aeration zone and the installation of dissolved oxygen probes at the facility.

Future years of this grant will provide funds for additional facilities. MassDEP will reach out to appropriate wastewater treatment facilities in the Massachusetts portion of the Long Island Sound to request project proposals for consideration in fiscal year 2026.

MassDEP will select facilities determined to be most in need for funding based on need to reduce nitrogen from the effluent, project readiness, project management capability, and previous funding.

Of note, activities being funded in Gardner and Pittsfield are a continuation of work funded through a previous Long Island Sound study award to MassDEP (Grant #00A00885).

Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements did not apply to this previous award due to the timing of when it was processed.

The Office of Water BABA team confirmed BABA requirements will not apply to this new award for the continuation of work in Gardner and Pittsfield.

This is based on Question 8.8 of the EPA document, 'Supplemental Questions and Answers for Build America, Buy America Act Implementation Procedures for Office of Water Federal Financial Assistance Programs,' which can be found online here: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-05/BABA-OW-SUPP-FAQ-MAY-2023.PDF.

All other work funded at new sites under this new award will have BABA requirements.

**Subrecipient:** The subrecipients for the first year of funding under this grant will be the Massachusetts' cities of Gardner ($2,000,000) and Pittsfield ($865,000).

Subrecipients for future years of this award have yet to be determined.

**Outcomes:** Gardner: The project will replace old, antiquated blowers, piping and diffused aeration equipment, and provide new instrumentation and controls to allow the system to be operated in a fully automated and more efficient manner.

Some electrical system upgrades also are included to support the new equipment/systems (larger horsepower blowers).

Annual nitrogen reduction would remain at 92 pounds per day as described in previously submitted workplans under Grant #00A00885.

Pittsfield: Deliverables include the development of one alternatives analysis report (with recommendations) that documents the evaluation and includes a recommended approach and estimated costs for reducing the total nitrogen loading from the Pittsfield treatment plant.

This project also will cover installation of new dissolved oxygen probes, thirteen insertion thermal flow meters and two pressure transmitters.

The annual nitrogen reduction described in the previously submitted workplans was 6,000 pounds per day.

Although the alterations to the scope of work have not altered the overall nitrogen reduction estimates, the proposed improvements en...

Massachusetts Department Of Environmental Protection

5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 1 - PILLAR 1: CLEAN AIR, LAND, AND WATER FOR EVERY AMERICAN 1.1 - TBD 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 4 - ENSURE CLEAN AND HEALTHY AIR FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 4.1 - IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND REDUCE LOCALIZED POLLUTION AND HEALTH IMPACTS 3 - CLEANING UP COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 3.3 - RESTORE LAND 7 - ENSURE SAFETY OF CHEMICALS FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT 7.2 - PROMOTE POLLUTION PREVENTION 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.3 - ADVANCE EPA'S ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND WORKFORCE EQUITY 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.2 - REDUCE WASTE AND PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS

66.437 - Long Island Sound Program

EPA Region 1: Boston [EPA - RO]

Massachusetts United States

State-Wide

EPA-CEP-01

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 260% from $2,941,260 to $10,600,000.