The Bristol waterfront continues to be the beneficiary of public assistance. After receiving major grants to support improvements to the Prudence ferry dock ($1.2 million from the federal government in 2019), the town welcomed two new grants in the past month. In April, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries, awarded the Town of Bristol a grant for $623,417.60 to support expansion of the town’s marina off Rockwell Park and for construction of a new fuel dock off the State Street pier.

This week, DEM announced a $23,625 for construction of a new stationary pump-out facility (shown in the photo above) and for operation and maintenance of a pumpout vessel. The second grant is funded under the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Clean Vessel Act.

“Over the years, projects funded with pump-out grants have been instrumental in helping to reduce a major source of contamination to the state’s coastal waters, including the bacteria that can cause shellfish closures,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “We are pleased to award these grants to improve Rhode Island’s boat pump-out infrastructure so that activities like boating and shellfishing can grow and thrive.”