Indiana organization awarded EPA grant for nutrient reduction in Great Lakes

February 27, 2020

A West Lafayette organization was awarded a nearly $480,000 grant to enhance nutrient reduction efforts in the Great Lakes.

The Conservation Technology Information Center, a nonprofit organization made up of members from public and private entities, was awarded $479,782 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The group said it would create a pay-for-performance marketplace in the Maumee and Sandusky River watersheds to incentivize efficient use of phosphorus in farming operations and meet sustainability goals in consumer-packaged goods companies in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

“This grant will kickstart an effort to link farmers who work to reduce nutrient loss with supply chain participants,” said Mike Komp, executive director of the CTIC. “Through this partnership with farmers, researchers, market makers and nonprofits, we will create the ability to quantify and reward farmers for their reductions in phosphorus loss. With all the issues related to water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin, we hope to drive improvements through this market-based effort.”

The Western Lake Erie Basin includes parts of six counties in northeastern Indiana. It has suffered from nutrient pollution for years.

The grant is part of $1.8 million in awards. The EPA also chose four other organizations from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin for grants.

Indiana organization awarded EPA grant for nutrient reduction in Great Lakes

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