EPA selects 8 finalists for Puget Sound cleanup grants

Story Published: Mar 26, 2008 at 5:10 PM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 26, 2008 at 5:57 PM PDT

By Associated Press

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - Eight projects that would help in the cleanup of Puget Sound have been selected as finalists for a total of up to $4.5 million in grants.

The finalists were announced Tuesday at the South Sound Science Symposium. The money comes from the Environmental Protection Agency's West Coast Estuaries Initiative.

The grants will help local and tribal governments on watershed projects led by Clallam, King, Thurston, Skagit, and Whatcom counties and the Squaxin Island Tribe.

The projects include protecting shellfish areas, evaluating the effectiveness of current zoning and regulations, and acquiring land for habitat protection.

The projects must now apply for the grants, and EPA spokeswoman Bevin Reid says the money could be released this summer.

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