Procedure for Reimbursement of Low Priority Overboard Discharge Removals

The Overboard Discharge Removal Grant Program was originally created to help remove overboard discharges that were causing shellfishing areas to be closed, or were creating a public nuisance. These are still high priorities for the program. Low priority projects such as reimbursement for removals required because property was transferred, or voluntary removal of the overboard discharge, will be considered for reimbursement if the rules of the program are followed and funding is available.

Important!    Low priority projects must apply for funding and submit their design and bid results to the DEP before building the project in order to be considered for reimbursement.

OBD Owners may apply for a grant through the Town if they are willing to administer the grant. Contact your town office to see if this is possible. OBD owners who wish to administer their own project should use the OBD Grant Application Only or the Complete OBD Grant Application Package. These documents both contain the grant application form, but the complete package also contains instructions on designing and building the project, and claiming payment.

After reviewing the design and bids, a letter will be sent to the applicant verifying the grant amount that has been approved for the project. This amount will be based on the income information and any other factors that affect funding. On October 1 of each calendar year, any grant funding which has not been committed to high priority projects will be used to reimburse the low priority projects. The order of reimbursements will be done based on the date that DEP approved the funding, so that the earlier projects will be funded first. Reimbursements for low priority projects will be made for all grant applications that are received during that calendar year until the available funds from that year's allotment have been expended.

Reimbursement requests which aren't made because of insufficient funds will be held and will be the first low priority projects to be reimbursed when funds become available.

Please note that low priority projects will only receive a confirmation of the approved grant amount, not a commitment of funding. These projects will only be reimbursed if and when grant funding is available as explained above.

• Return to the main OBD Grant Program page.

• For information on licensing overboard discharges, see Overboard Discharge Program.
• For information on a grant program for untreated discharges or malfunctioning septic systems, see Small Community Program.