EPA, San Jose Announce Pilot Program to Reduce Trash to San Francisco Bay

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), city of San Jose and multiple state and local partners will host a press conference on June 9 to announce a competitive grant being awarded to reduce trash to San Francisco Bay. Coyote Creek is a severely trash-impaired waterway with pollution significantly damaging the creek’s healthy habitat for fish and wildlife.

Congress has appropriated $22 million to EPA since 2008 for the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (SFBWQIF), which now supports 31 projects and leverages $13 million throughout the Bay area. The EPA’s competitive grant program is helping protect California wetlands and improve water quality.

Thursday’s event will announce the latest addition to the SFBWQIF portfolio--made possible by a unique combination of federal, state, local and private-sector funding. Officials will be available to answer questions and discuss the details of the innovative grant-funded project designed to improve water quality in Coyote Creek, an important tributary to San Francisco Bay. The city of San Jose, Downtown Street Teams and Destination Home will also highlight how this pilot program will employ and assist the homeless.

Source: EPA