WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, (both D-Md.) today announced the inclusion of $13,400,000 in key Senate Committee legislation providing direct federal funding for community-led projects in Maryland. These community projects, funded at the Senators’ request, support improving water infrastructure for Marylanders, preserving local historic sites, driving economic development, and more. They were included within the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies’ proposed funding legislation for fiscal year 2024. This subcommittee legislation was released as part of the annual Congressional Appropriations process and passed on a bipartisan basis by the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill will proceed to consideration before the full Senate – funding is not finalized until the Appropriations bills are passed by the Senate, reconciled with the House of Representatives, and signed by the President.
“Updating our water infrastructure and preserving our history is crucial to ensure our communities have access to clean, safe water and public spaces. These projects provide the essential tools they need to manage their resources into the future,” said Senator Cardin. “Team Maryland continues to collaborate in an unprecedented way to deliver federal resources that directly support local needs and priorities.”
“In Congress, one of our top priorities is securing federal investments to support our communities. That’s why working together with Team Maryland we fought for these funds – which will invest in everything from improving our water infrastructure and Marylanders’ access to clean water to the preservation of important historic sites in our state. This federal funding makes a real impact across Maryland, and we’re committed to getting these investments over the finish line,” said Senator Van Hollen.
The Senators secured funding for the following projects in the Senate Appropriations FY2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding legislation.
Project Name: Accident Drane House Restoration, Inc. for a Restoration Project
Applicant: Accident Drane House Association, Inc.
Project Location: Garrett County
Amount Included: $250,000
Description: The Drane House is the oldest existing residential structure in Garrett County, Maryland. This project will repair, restore, and furnish this 224-year-old historic structure as closely as possible to its original condition, providing a site for education and tourism.
Project Name: Baltimore City for Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks Improvements
Applicant: Baltimore City
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $4,000,000
Description: Funds will be used to rehabilitate the Grit Facility at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant to improve performance and minimize upstream sanitary sewer overflows to protect water quality.
Project Name: City of Bowie for Low Lift Pump Assembly
Applicant: City of Bowie
Project Location: Prince George’s County
Amount Included: $840,000
Description: The City’s water system, which was built in the 1960s, uses a lift system to convey filtered water from a clear well to the ground storage tank at the treatment plant. Funds will be used to replace the aging lift pump assembly and ensure a safe and reliable drinking water supply for residents.
Project Name: City of Crisfield for Main Street Revitalization and Resiliency Business Incubator
Applicant: City of Crisfield
Project Location: Somerset County
Amount Included: $500,000
Description: Funds will help revitalize a city-owned building on Main Street that was built in 1928 and has been vacant for over a decade. The rehabilitation of the building will serve as an anchor to redevelop and drive economic activity to the rest of Main Street, where there are over two dozen vacant storefronts.
Project Name: City of Rockville for Sewer Main Rehab
Applicant: City of Rockville
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $500,000
Description: The City has an ongoing project to upgrade its sewer lines to prevent wastewater overflows and pipe failures in order to better serve residents and prevent environmental harm. Funds will be used to replace over 50-year-old pipes in Southeast Rockville.
Project Name: Howard County for Hauled Grease Acceptance Facility
Applicant: Howard County
Project Location: Howard County
Amount Included: $1,440,000
Description: Funds will be used to construct a Hauled Grease Receiving Facility at the Little Patuxent Wastewater Reclamation Plant. This space for restaurants and food service facilities to safely dispose of grease and food waste will prevent them from entering the water system and causing back-ups and overflows.
Project Name: Preservation Maryland for Historic Ellicott City Jail Rehabilitation and Reuse
Applicant: Preservation Maryland
Project Location: Howard County
Amount Included: $500,000
Description: Funds will rehabilitate and repurpose the Historic Ellicott City Jail into a work space for Preservation Maryland and other nonprofits, a public multipurpose area for community meetings, and a Center for Climate, Heritage, and Preservation Studies in partnership with the University of Maryland.
Project Name: President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Old Soldiers Home for Renovations
Applicant: President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Old Soldiers Home
Project Location: Washington, D.C.
Amount Included: $320,000
Description: Funds will support accessibility and electrical improvements at President Lincoln’s Cottage to improve access to this National Monument, protect preservation investments already made, and create long-term cost savings through decreased energy and maintenance costs.
Project Name: Project Liberty Ship, the S.S. John W. Brown for Deck Restoration
Applicant: Project Liberty Ship, the S.S. John W. Brown
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $200,000
Description: The Liberty Ship, built in Baltimore in 1943, currently serves as an operating museum ship honoring servicemembers and shipbuilders who contributed to victory in WWII. It is also a Coast Guard maritime education site. Funds will restore the marine coating on the main deck to preserve the ship.
Project Name: Town of Cottage City for Stormwater Management
Applicant: The Town of Cottage City
Project Location: Prince George’s County
Amount Included: $670,000
Description: Significant stormwater drainage issues are impacting nearly half the families in the Town of Cottage City. Funds will address groundwater incursion that has caused issues with standing water, redirect stormwater away from residences, and repave streets and alleys to ensure proper drainage.
Project Name: Town of Hurlock for New Well Construction
Applicant: Town of Hurlock
Project Location: Dorchester County
Amount Included: $405,000
Description: Funds will be used to add a third water well in the Town of Hurlock to ensure adequate drinking water supply for the town’s needs.
Project Name: Upton Planning Committee for Renovations of the Parren Mitchell Event and Cultural Center
Applicant: Upton Planning Committee
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $500,000
Description: The Parren Mitchell House project will restore the home of U.S. Congressman Parren Mitchell to serve as a center for education and culture and a community meeting place. The project is part of the continued preservation of Lafayette Square, home to several historical and architecturally significant buildings.
Project Name: Village of Burkittsville for East Main Street Stormwater Management
Applicant: Village of Burkittsville
Project Location: Frederick County
Amount Included: $385,000
Description: Burkittsville has experienced repeated flooding, including two 100-year flood events that eroded Main Street and damaged residences. Funds will be used for engineering design work to address drainage and stormwater issues on East Main Street.
Project Name: Washington County for SCADA Upgrade
Applicant: Washington County
Project Location: Washington County
Amount Included: $200,000
Description: Washington County’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, a control/alarm system for monitoring its water and wastewater pump station, has not worked properly since a November 2022 cyber breach. Funds will replace the SCADA system at more than 50 pump stations.
Project Name: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission for Expansion of Utility Service to Underserved Communities
Applicant: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Project Location: Prince George’s County
Amount Included: $1,600,000
Description: Over 4,000 homes in the WSSC service area in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties are on private septic systems, and many are failing or close to failing. Funds will extend public sewer to homeowners who cannot afford to pay to connect on their own, preventing septic failures and protecting public health.
Project Name: Worcester County for Riddle Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant Bypass Force Main Interconnect
Applicant: Worcester County
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Included: $1,090,000
Description: Funding will be used to install a new force main interconnect at the Riddle Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant that will connect to the Ocean Pines sewer service area and provide a back-up system in the case of routine maintenance or major repairs.
Additional highlights from the FY24 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill include:
Chesapeake Bay: The bill supports the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, providing $93 million for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program, $8.5 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake WILD Program and $3.327 million for the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Network – all of which are above fiscal year 2023 funding levels. The lawmakers also secured report language requesting a briefing from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the states’ progress on the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load to date, and projections for 2025.
Department of the Interior: The bill provides $15.639 billion in total for the Department of the Interior. This includes $1.499 billion for the Bureau of Land Management, $1.804 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and $3.457 billion for the National Park Service to protect and manage our federal lands and national parks, conserve and protect wildlife, and more.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The bill protects essential funding for EPA’s critical responsibilities protecting our environment and people’s health. It provides $4 million above fiscal year 2023 for EPA’s clean air and climate programs to tackle climate change and ensure families in every part of the country have clean air and water.
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill allocates $900 million for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states provided through the LWCF under the Great American Outdoors Act.
National Parks and Public Lands Restoration Fund: The bill allocates $1.9 billion for deferred maintenance projects for the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Forest Service as part of a five-year deferred maintenance initiative under the Great American Outdoors Act.
Cultural Programs: The bill protects essential funding for key cultural institutions and programming. It provides $207 million each for the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities and $1.095 billion for the Smithsonian Institution, which includes an additional $2 million each to continue the planning and development of the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
