SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Ten Delaware projects will receive a combined $348,777 in 2026 through the Community Environmental Project Fund, a program administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The agency states that the program aims to support pollution mitigation, environmental enhancement and new recreational opportunities.
By state law, DNREC withholds a portion of money collected from penalties tied to environmental violations and returns it to the communities where those violations occurred. The funding is awarded as competitive grants.
House Bill 210, known as the Pollution Accountability Act, passed during the 2025 legislative session and was signed by Gov. Matt Meyer. The law increases the amount of penalty funding returned to communities from 25% to 40% and prioritizes projects within two miles of the location where the violation occurred.
Officials say, since 2004, the program has invested about $4.41 million in 119 projects statewide. Of those, 37% focused on environmental enhancement, 33.6% created recreational opportunities and 29.4% addressed pollution mitigation.
“This program has invested millions of dollars in communities environmental projects, with a focus on those impacted by nearby environmental violations,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. “Over the next few years, we can expect to see even more investment of penalty funds in areas that have experienced potential environmental harm – areas that also have traditionally been underserved and underrepresented.”
The DNREC Office of Environmental Justice received 48 applications for 2026 funding.
“The number of applications is indicative of the level of interest community groups and individuals have in taking action to ensure clean air and water, to improve their quality of life and to protect the environment now and for future generations,” said Dr. Katera Moore, DNREC’s environmental justice coordinator.
Two Sussex County projects were selected, including End Community Violence Now and the Sussex Health and Environmental Network.
Maria Payan, executive director of Sussex Health and Environmental Network, said the funding her group received in 2025 for the CLEAR Project shows what can be accomplished through collaboration.
“For well over a decade, these residents have lived without the ability to pour a clean glass of water from their tap,” Ms. Payan said. “For those of us who have access to clean drinking water, it’s difficult to understand the toll this takes on a family.
“Families have told us they are now showering without rashes and able to safely give their children and pets clean drinking water without the burden of lugging 40-pound water jugs around. We’d like to give a very special thank you from SHEN and the communities we serve to DNREC and its professionals, Dr. Katera Moore and Antonio Bivins, who made this project possible and helped to transform the lives of families in need in Sussex County.”
DNREC lists all 2026 projects here.