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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mike Hanna |
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State
Rep. Scott Conklin
D- Centre
www.pahouse.com/Conklin
Penn State receives grant to update water safety software
HARRISBURG, March 25 – State Reps. Mike Hanna and Scott Conklin, both D-Centre, announced that Penn State University has been awarded a grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection to update software that plans and manages sustainable environmental and water resources in Pennsylvania communities.
The $74,250 grant will be used to upgrade and maintain MapShed, a software program that enables DEP to analyze and evaluate stormwater total maximum daily loads (TMDL) in urban communities. TMDLs are the calculations of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive and still safely meet water quality standards.
"Water quality is of vital importance to residents all across Pennsylvania, and I applaud the researchers at Penn State for making this resource a priority," Hanna said. "We are lucky to have some of the most innovative and experienced researchers right here in the heart of Pennsylvania."
"Penn State has some of the best research facilities and programs in the nation," Conklin said. "This funding has dual roles of advancing that research and keeping our water resources safe."
The federal Environmental Protection Agency currently calculates TMDLs. In addition to the grant from the state DEP, Penn State also received federal ARRA funds for this software upgrade.
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