Millbury awarded $1 million grant as part of climate change adaptation program

Governor Charlie Baker and Secretary Kathleen Theoharides spoke in Millbury on Tuesday. Office of Governor Charlie Baker

Governor Charlie Baker and Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides awarded a $1 million grant to the Town of Millbury for a climate change adaptation project, the governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

The grant is part of $12 million awarded to communities throughout the Commonwealth by the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program in the largest release of climate change funding in state history, the statement said.

Millbury will use the grant to fund the Armory Village Green Infrastructure Project, which is part of a downtown revitalization effort to reduce flood and stormwater runoff to the Blackstone River through the use of green infrastructure, the governor’s office said.

“Massachusetts has been a national leader in addressing climate change, and these grants represent the Commonwealth’s largest funding commitment ever to improving community resiliency,” Baker said in the statement.

The preparedness program awarded $1.7 million to 65 communities to identify climate change vulnerabilities, and the remaining $10.3 million was awarded to 34 communities that are ready to implement projects that build resilience to climate change impacts, the statement said.

Earlier this year, Baker filed a bill that would increase the excise tax on real estate transfers to create revenue for resilient infrastructure, the statement said.

The proposal is estimated to generate $1.3 billion over 10 years which would be deposited into the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Trust Fund, the statement said.

“We are proud to support this important climate resilience project in Millbury and many others across the Commonwealth that will foster stronger communities and improve the environment,” Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito said in the statement.