EPA awards Saw Mill River Coalition $900,000 grant

Mayor Phil Amicone joined federal representatives on the banks of the Saw Mill River to discuss the $900,000 EPA Targeted Watershed Grant that was awarded to Groundwork Hudson Valley's Saw Mill River Coalition. The grant, one of only 15 given out nationwide, will assist pollution cleanup, restoration and planning efforts that will improve the Saw Mill River from its origins in Chappaqua to its terminus in the city, including the much anticipated "daylighting" project that will unearth portions of the river through the city's downtown. A check from the EPA regional administrator Alan Steinberg in the amount of $889,183 was presented at the event. The Saw Mill River, while only 19-miles long, has a major impact on the Hudson River. It has had one of the worst stream profiles of any Hudson River tributary, based primarily on its past history and the role it played in industrialization. Once called the Nepprehan River, it was the location of the first saw mill in the colonies, hence its current name. Groundwork Hudson Valley has worked with the city to build a local program of river conservation known as the Saw Mill River Coalition that involves volunteers, schools, environmental and community organizations, its local municipalities, and county and state agencies. The Coalition was started in 2001 and has been working steadily on many projects to improve the river.