State officials with N.C. Division of Coastal Management are making available more than $115,000 in grant funding for marinas to install, repair and renovate sewage pump-out stations.
The funding was received from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and will ensure that boaters have a safe, convenient and effective method to dispose of onboard sewage. The funds are also used to support boater education programs.
“We’d like for boaters to be able to access sewage pump-out stations as easily as they can access fuel and other common boating services,” said Braxton Davis, director of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management. “These grants are valuable in helping boaters and protecting the environment.”
There is a cap on the funding of $20,000 for each project. A 25 percent match is required by the applicant. To apply for the pump-out grants, go to the division’s website at: http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/coastal-management/coastal-management-recognition/pumpout-program.
The N.C. Pump-out Program was established under the federal Clean Vessel Act of 1992 and provides financial assistance to marinas and other boat-docking facilities for the installation and renovation of pump-out and dump stations in North Carolina.
Under this program, the coastal agency has made $958,529 available for private and commercial marinas, gas and service docks, seafood dealers and other boat docking facilities in the 20 coastal counties since 1995.