Rhode Island will receive over $11 million through federal Community Project Funding to support various initiatives in the state, U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I. 1) announced in a January press release. Over $6 million of the grant will go towards projects supporting the blue economy, the ocean-based industry which includes shipbuilding, tourism and conservation.
“Making sure Rhode Island communities have the resources they need to succeed is a key pillar of my work in Congress,” Amo wrote in an email to The Herald. “I cannot wait to see these dollars at work in our communities, making them safer, stronger and more resilient.”
Between six and nine percent of Rhode Island’s residents are currently employed within the $5 billion blue economy, The Herald previously reported.
On Jan. 15, Amo announced the initial approval of nearly $8 million in federal Community Project Funding by the House of Representatives and Senate. Eight days later, an additional $2.6 million was approved to help “enhance flood response systems, fund public library renovations and support the Greystone bridge reconstruction,” Amo wrote.
Over $1 million will go toward an upgrade to Middletown’s sewer system, which has been “contemplated” for at least 25 years, according to Matt Sheley, the town’s public affairs officer.
Currently, 90% of the town’s waste flows through the Wave Avenue Pump Station, which means the sewage has to travel “many miles” before it reaches the wastewater treatment plant. This causes extra expenses, risks environmental contamination and adds strain to the sewage system, among other related issues, Sheley wrote.
The grant aims to reduce the strain on the pump station by increasing the system’s capacity, with preliminary plans to redirect the sewage, he added.
Without the additional funding, Middletown would have been forced to delay the project to prioritize funding for emergency services and schools, Sheley wrote.
“Every dollar matters to communities like Middletown more than ever before,” Sheley wrote.
Conservation is another factor of the blue economy industry, said Adam Soule, professor of oceanography and executive director of the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute at the University of Rhode Island.
“It’s important to recognize that whatever we extract from the ocean is kind of a one-way street, and we need to be putting back into the ocean as well,” Soule said. “There needs to be large-scale investment across the wide array of domains that impact the blue economy,” Soule said.
Surrounded by rich coastal waters, Rhode Island — dubbed the ‘Ocean State’ — has both an opportunity and a responsibility to help lead the way, Emanuele Di Lorenzo, professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences, wrote in an email to The Herald.
Di Lorenzo sees the blue economy as an opportunity to develop sustainable businesses, while supporting the marine ecosystems that are central to Rhode Island. “The importance of a sustainable Blue Economy may seem obvious, but it’s also fundamental,” he wrote.
Over $3 million of the Community Project Funding will also go towards library innovations, police department improvements and facility improvement and reconstruction projects.
The Bristol Police Department will receive $966,000 for a new radio system, according to Amo’s press release. Bristol Police Lt. Brian Morse wrote in an email to The Herald that their current system is “outdated,” which “creates a safety concern for both officers and the community.”
If the funding is approved, the department plans for the new system to be operational within a year.
The grants passed the House of Representatives on Jan. 22 and, if successful in the Senate, will go to President Trump for final approval.
Talia is a metro section editor covering the health and environment and community and culture beats. She is a sophomore from Bethesda, MD studying history and international and public affairs. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Providence one wrong turn at a time.
