NOTICES
Submission Date for Recycling Program Development and Implementation Grants under the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988
[35 Pa.B. 2031] The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) announces the availability of applications to municipalities for recycling program grant assistance under section 902 of the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act (act) (53 P. S. § 4000.902). Municipalities eligible for recycling grants include counties, cities, boroughs, incorporated towns, townships, home rule municipalities, councils of governments, consortiums or similar entities established by two or more municipalities under 53 Pa.C.S. Chapter 23, Subchapter A (relating to intergovernmental cooperation).
Applicants must be in compliance with the act and the implementing regulations, the Department's Guidelines for Proper Management of Recyclable Materials and any previous grant contract provisions to be eligible to receive grant funding. County applicants should be in compliance with planning and other county-related provisions of the act. Applicants who are not in compliance with the act's annual reporting requirements will not be considered in this grant application round.
Applicants will need to identify methods and strategies they will use to move their recycling programs toward becoming more financially self-sufficient. The Department's draft technical report on Building Financially Sustainable Recycling Programs can provide assistance in developing methods and strategies. The draft technical report can be found on the Department's website at www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/subject/advcoun/solidwst/2005/jan13/RecyclingSustainabilityTechnicalReport.pdf.
Municipalities are eligible for 90% funding of approved recycling program costs. Municipalities considered financially distressed by the Department of Community and Economic Development under the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act (53 P. S. §§ 11071.101--11701.501) are eligible for 100% of approved costs. An application requesting more than $500,000 in grant funding will not be accepted. Because funding for educational efforts will be limited, applicants should, when practicable, allocate these costs toward their required match.
Applicants requesting support for, or including elements of, the following will receive additional consideration:
1. Recycling projects involving multiple municipalities for the purpose of minimizing costs.
2. ''Hybrid'' powered vehicles utilized for the curbside collection of recyclables from residences.
3. Projects in which a previously uncollected recyclable material is added to the collection program thereby stimulating and expanding local markets.
4. Programs operating in municipalities covered by land use plans and ordinances (as outlined under Acts 67 and 68 of 2000) or projects that are in compliance with their municipality's land use plan.
5. Programs where residents within the affected community are charged for waste collection based on the amount of waste they generate or are limited in the amount of waste (in terms of the number of bags or containers) they may place at the curb in a given period.
6. Development and implementation of a food waste collection and composting program.
7. Development and implementation of a program to ensure compliance with the community's recycling ordinance or regulations, or both.
8. Development and implementation of a recycling program where recycling opportunities were not previously available.
9. Development and implementation of a recycling program for commercial, institutional and municipal establishments.
10. Development and implementation of a recycling program for community events.
Projects eligible for grant funding are those which divert the following recyclable materials from municipal solid waste: clear glass, colored glass, aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans, high-grade office paper, newsprint, corrugated paper, other marketable grades of paper, plastics, source separated food scraps and leaf and yard wastes.
Eligible recycling program development costs include: recycling program design costs, recycling market investigations, development of recycling market commitments, development of recycling program ordinances, development of recycling public education programs and development of contracts for procuring equipment or services necessary for the operation of the recycling program.
Eligible recycling program implementation costs include: purchase or lease of vehicles used to collect recyclables, transport of recyclables to processing facilities or markets, including vehicles used in the operation of a materials recovery facility; purchase of reusable containers for the collection or storage of recyclable materials; acquisition or renovation, or both, of buildings for the processing or storage of recovered materials; equipment used to process or manufacture recyclable materials into usable products; improvements to land needed to operate a recycling facility or yard waste composting facility authorized under 25 Pa. Code § 271.103(b) (relating to permit-by-rule for municipal waste processing facilities other than for infectious or chemotherapeutic waste; qualifying facilities; general requirements); and the costs associated with educating the public on recycling program requirements. Under this grant solicitation, promotional items, glass crushing equipment and vehicles equipped with compaction units (except for the sole collection of yard waste or paper fiber, or both) will not be considered eligible for funding. Other eligible and noneligible costs are listed in the grant application packet. Composting projects and programs will be considered to be recycling projects or programs accordingly.
A municipality must retain sole ownership of equipment or facilities funded by the grant. Funding for equipment or facilities purchased for the recycling program that is used for recycling and other purposes will be prorated according to its recycling use. Funding for certain leaf and yard waste collection equipment may be limited according to its seasonal use. Funding for wood chipping equipment will be approved only when the equipment is part of an approved yard waste composting facility operating under the Department's guidelines and when the material is collected curbside from residents. Funding of street sweepers for the purpose of leaf collection will not be considered.
Funding may be restricted in situations where equipment or services requested through a grant application may be available from the public or private sector within the county of the applicant. Public notices may be required before the grant application may be submitted depending upon the nature of the funding request. When the municipality submits the recycling grant application to the Department, it must include proof of compliance with the notification requirements, a description of any responses received to the notice and an explanation of why the municipality has concluded the mechanical processing equipment is not available to the program from the private sector.
Potential applicants must contact the appropriate Department regional planning and recycling coordinator to schedule a preapplication conference to discuss application requirements and program details. Applications will be returned to municipalities that fail to schedule a preapplication conference. Grant application forms are available from the Department's regional offices and the Department's website, www.dep.state.pa.us (DEP Keyword Recycling Grants).
Grant applications must be received or postmarked by June 17, 2005. Applications received by the Department after that date will not be considered during the current round of solicitation. Applications must be on forms provided by the Department, with two copies submitted to the Department's Central Office (Rachel Carson State Office Building, Harrisburg) and one copy submitted to the appropriate county recycling coordinator. Grant awards will be predicated on the receipt of recycling fees required by sections 701 and 702 of the act (53 P. S. §§ 4000.701 and 4000.702) and the availability of moneys in the Recycling Fund.
Inquiries concerning this notice should be directed to Todd Pejack, Recycling Grants Coordinator, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, Bureau of Waste Management, Division of Waste Minimization and Planning, P. O. Box 8472, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8472, tpejack@state.pa.us.
KATHLEEN A. MCGINTY,
Secretary
Regional Planning and Recycling Coordinators Southeast Region
Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia CountiesWaste Management Program
2 East Main Street
Norristown, PA 19401
(484) 250-5900
(610) 832-6143 fax
Calvin Ligons, cligons@state.pa.us
Ann Ryan, aryan@state.pa.us
MaryAlice Reisse, mreisse@state.pa.usNortheast Region
Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming CountiesWaste Management Program
2 Public Square
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0790
(570) 826-2516
(570) 826-5448 fax
Chris Fritz, cfritz@state.pa.usSouthcentral Region
Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York CountiesWaste Management Program
909 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-8200
(717) 705-4706
(717) 705-4930 fax
Mark Vottero, mvottero@state.pa.usNorthcentral Region
Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union CountiesWaste Management Program
208 W. 3rd Street, Suite 101
Williamsport, PA 17701
(570) 327-3727
(570) 327-3420 fax
Patrick Brennan, pbrennan@state.pa.usSouthwest Region
Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland CountiesWaste Management Program
400 Waterfront Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745
(412) 442-4000
(412) 442-4194 fax
Sharon Svitek, ssvitek@state.pa.us
Bob Emmert, remmert@state.pa.us
Stephen Sales, ssales@state.pa.usNorthwest Region
Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango and Warren CountiesPollution Prevention and Compliance Assistance
230 Chestnut Street
Meadville, PA 16335-3481
(814) 332-6848
(814) 332-6117 fax
Guy McUmber, gmcumber@state.pa.us
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-610. Filed for public inspection April 1, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
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