ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 11, 2002) – Governor Parris N. Glendening yesterday announced Board of Public Works approval of a $2.12 million grant for Queen Anne’s County to upgrade and expand the Kent Narrows/Stevensville/Grasonville Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“We are taking aggressive action to protect and preserve our precious Chesapeake Bay while improving the quality of life for all Marylanders,” said Governor Glendening. “This funding continues the State’s support of a construction project at the existing plant that will allow Queen Anne’s County to improve the quality of service to its 14,000 customers. This project is consistent with Maryland’s commitment to reduce the amount of nutrients being discharged to the Chesapeake Bay.”

The grant will be used to upgrade the existing biological nutrient removal (BNR) facility at the plant, improving its ability to remove nitrogen from treated water, as well as expand of the treatment plant’s capacity to three million gallons per day to provide for growth projected to occur in the area over the next few years.

“Queen Anne’s County fully supports the Chesapeake Bay Agreement’s initiatives and in constructing our new wastewater treatment plant with BNR, we are showing our citizens’ commitment to a cleaner, healthier Bay,” said Queen Anne’s County Commissioner President George O’Donnell. “We appreciate the state paying for a portion of this important improvement.”

The total cost of the project is $33.6 million, of which $22.17 million is the local share of the cost. The Maryland Department of the Environment, through its Water Quality Infrastructure Program, has awarded Queen Anne’s County a total of $10.37 million in grants for this project.

Construction on the upgrade is set to begin in September and is slated for completion by March 2004.

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