Nebraska DEQ Awards More than $1 Million in Waste Reduction, Recycling Grants

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality has awarded $1,140,883 in grants for various waste reduction and recycling projects throughout the state. The grants are available through the state’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund. The fund is generated by a fee on solid waste disposed of in landfills, an annual retail business sales fee and a fee assessed on the sale of new tires for motor vehicles.

Through the state’s business fee, a total of $349,395 was awarded to 14 individuals and public, private, or non-profit organizations. They are the following:
 

• Creighton University, Omaha, $24,722 to purchase a brush chipper for campus trees and shrub waste.
• G7 Innovations Inc., Omaha, $61,302 for waste collection events in 10 communities throughout the state. Materials include computers, peripherals, appliances and batteries.
• Grand Island Area Clean Community System, Grand Island, $88,478 for 11 household hazardous waste collection events.
• Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities, Lincoln, $68,443 to remodel and expand its Eco Products & Service Center.
• Keep Fremont Beautiful Inc., Fremont, $14,188 for personnel and operating costs to run Keep Fremont Beautiful.
• Keep Kimball Beautiful, Kimball, $16,508 for operational costs for recycling center, public education and to increase material accepted.
• Lincoln Children's Zoo, Lincoln, $1,472 to increase recycling for staff and volunteers at the Lincoln Children's Zoo by purchasing recycling containers and compost boxes.
• Lincoln Public Schools Foundation, Lincoln, $12,666 to continue and expand recycling education and recycling practices of the schools, including personnel costs for a recycling coordinator.
• Nebraska Center for Sustainable Construction, Lincoln, $9,019 to purchase a truck and three box trailers that will be used to haul salvageable material.
• Nebraska Loess Hills Resource Conservation & Development, Lyons, $1,805 to hold an obsolete electronics collection event.
• Nebraska Loess Hills Resource Conservation & Development, $14,527 to hold household hazardous waste collections in three communities in the Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D area.
• Northeast Nebraska Resource Conservation & Development, Columbus, $6,670 to hold waste collection events in three communities.
• Prairie Land Resource Conservation & Development Council, Madison, $6,600 to hold an obsolete electronics collection event in the Prairie Land RC&D Council area.
• WasteCap Nebraska, Lincoln, $22,995 to continue its Green Ambassadors Program.

Through money generated from the NDEQ’s disposal fees, a total of $791,488 was awarded to 13 counties, municipalities and agencies. They are the following:
 

• City of Kearney, $84,860 to purchase equipment to be used at the city’s compost facility to screen yard waste.
• City of Lincoln Public Works & Utilities, $22,063 for a project to expand and strengthen the current educational recycling efforts in Lincoln and Lancaster County.
• City of Omaha, $253,000 for operating costs for an Under-the-Sink permanent household hazardous waste facility.
• City of Ravenna, $11,250 to purchase a compartmentalized recycling trailer.
• City of South Sioux City, $5,474 to complete a wood biomass heating feasibility study to determine the economic viability of installing a wood biomass heating system in a municipal building.
• City of Wahoo, $15,841 to purchase two 10-bin recycling trailers, and purchase an additional ten bins.
• Dakota County Roads Department, $24,187 to purchase a brush chipper, which will be shared with the communities of Homer, Jackson, Hubbard and Dakota City.
• Lexington Area Solid Waste Agency, $22,640 for seven household hazardous and electronics waste collection events in the LASWA area.
• Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, $109,652 to hold between five and eight household hazardous waste collection events, two small business waste collection events and two appointment-only collection days. LLCHD will also work with community partners to decrease toxic waste and its risks through education. Activities include a "Hazardous-Free Home Handbook" expanded for statewide use.
• Nebraska City Utilities, $48,740 to purchase a brush chipper, and personnel and operating costs to operate the chipper.
• Omaha Public Power District, $90,000 to continue refrigerator recycling program in the service area.
• Red Willow County $97,771 to hold 46 household hazardous waste collection events. Funding also will go toward the operations of the Red Willow County household hazardous waste facility.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln, $6,010 for an “Education through Participation” program, designed to educate the University community and local residents about sustainable practices such as recycling.