Province Announces Funding for Valley, Digby Shore Clean Air Projects
The Annapolis Valley and Digby Shore regions will have five new clean air projects thanks to about $655,000 in funding, Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau announced today, Sept. 11.
The funding is part of a $900,000 investment by the province into projects that will help reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. More announcements will take place early next week.
"We are committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to at least 10 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020," said Mr. Belliveau. "Clean air is important to us all and the projects announced today will help move us closer to that goal."
The funding for the projects is provided under two programs of the ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change, which support projects that reduce greenhouse gas and air pollution.
The municipal program supports municipally run projects, while the environmental technology program supports businesses and researchers.
The Town of Wolfville will receive a $41,000 grant under the municipal program to retrofit heating systems in its public works building and its emergency services facility to reduce energy consumption.
"Wolfville has adopted a new municipal planning strategy which is based on sustainability," said Wolfville Mayor Bob Stead. "This project is designed to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions produced from heating some of our town buildings."
The municipality of Digby is receiving $190,000 through the program for energy-efficiency renovations to the municipal office building and the municipality of West Hants got $10,000 for an energy inventory and audit.
Two of the projects announced today are receiving funding through the environmental technology program. Acadian Seaplants received $250,000 for a sand/seaweed by-product recovery project and West Nova Agro Commodities got $162,000 to develop a heat recovery system for the grain-drying industry.
The ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change is supported by a $42.5-million federal grant for projects that reduce air emissions and create a cleaner, healthier environment. Projects and initiatives under the fund started rolling out in 2007 and applications for funding will be accepted until early 2010. Including this afternoon's announcement, 61 projects have been announced under the fund.
Further information on programs, deadlines and applications is available at www.gov.ns.ca/econovascotia .