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EPA Recognizes Town of Amherst, Va. for ‘Extraordinary Actions’ to Protect Watershed

Release Date: 4/1/2003
Contact Information: Roy Seneca, (215) 814-5567

Roy Seneca, (215) 814-5567

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented the town of Amherst, Amherst County, Va. with a Clean Water Partners award for taking “extraordinary actions” to protect watersheds.

“By initiating a watershed protection program, the town of Amherst has demonstrated how local governments can play an important role in protecting our nation’s waters,” said Donald S. Welsh, regional administrator for EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

Amherst is among 79 organizations and municipalities selected nationwide as Clean Water Partners. The program is part of EPA’s celebration of the Year of Clean Water. EPA Administrator Christie Whitman and Assistant Administrator G. Tracy Mehan III presented the awards during ceremonies today.

The town initiated a watershed protection program to protect the quality of Amherst County’s public water supplies from non-point source pollution. The program uses a combination of property owner education, land use surveys, cost-shared best management practices, zoning and subdivision regulations and other data to identify and address existing and/or potential sources of non-point source pollution in local watersheds.

Applications for the awards were announced in the Federal Register in April 2002. Each applicant had to complete a compliance screening and was reviewed by a panel including EPA, the Water Environment Federation, Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) and National League of Cities.