New York Governor George E. Pataki announced waste reduction and recycling grants totaling more than $8.7 million to 27 municipalities across New York State, including a $2 million grant to New York City for public outreach and education to promote the City's renewed recycling program.
The grants are being provided through the Environmental Protection Fund, 1996 Clean Water/Clear Air Bond Act, and the 1972 Environmental Quality Bond Act (EQBA).
This funding supports Governor Pataki's commitment to helping local governments implement long-term strategies to remove recyclable materials from the waste stream and reduce the need for solid waste disposal.
"Recycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce waste, prevent pollution and help protect New York's precious natural resources," Governor Pataki said. "I'm proud that these grants will build on our efforts to help local governments -- like New York City -- expand and enhance recycling efforts in their communities and provide a cleaner, healthier environment for all New Yorkers."
Since 1995, under the Governor's leadership New York has committed more than $145.7 million to more than 402 recycling projects funded from the Bond Act, the EPF, and the EQBA.
The grant program provides a 50 percent State share of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $2 million per project.
The New York City Department of Sanitation collects recyclables from residents, public schools, government agencies and institutions. The $2 million EPF grant will help fund efforts to continue extensive public outreach and education initiatives targeting individuals and communities across the City in an effort to promote and expand recycling activity.
To date, the EPF has provided more than $1.1 billion for more than 3,900 projects, including $57.4 million in total appropriations for waste reduction and recycling projects, including household hazardous waste removal. Governor Pataki was the first Governor in New York's history to fund the EPF to the full extent allowable by law, and has increased funding for this important fund five-fold -- from $25 million to $125 million annually.
All projects are subject to a final eligibility review and approval. A complete list of the projects is below.
Broome County
- $347,388 to the Town of Chenango for a biosolids compost building and associated equipment. Chautauqua County
- $11,250 to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities to promote recycling in schools and to distribute recycling bins and containers to school classrooms and offices. Erie County
- $14,369 to the Town of Grand Island for the purchase of two wood chippers to manage tree waste and provide wood chips for landscaping.
- $3,197 to the Town of Lancaster for the printing and distribution of educational brochures that provide guidelines to residents on preparing recyclables and a schedule for collecting recyclables.
- $140,945 to the Town of West Seneca for the purchase of recycling equipment for a yard waste composting program. Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming Counties
- $73,229 to the GLOW Solid Waste Management Committee for a recycling coordinator and a public education/promotion campaign to promote recycling. Herkimer County
- $10,967 to the Town of Danube for the purchase of a wood chipper to manage tree waste and provide wood chips for landscaping. Jefferson County
- $60,785 to the Town of Cape Vincent for the purchase of a tub grinder to process brush, tree limbs and unadulterated wood into chips and mulch. Livingston County
- $168,834 to the Village of Mount Morris for an addition to a biosolids compost building and the purchase of associated equipment. Nassau County
- $9,998 to the Village of Lynbrook for the purchase of an asphalt reclaimer unit to reprocess screened, excavated asphalt for reuse in the Village's pothole repair program. New York City
- $2 million to New York City for a public education/promotion program to promote waste reduction and recycling in New York City. Niagara County
- $15,187 to the Town of Royalton for the purchase of a wood chipper, a stump grinder and 600 residential recycling containers. Onondaga County
- $190,850 to the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency for recycling containers to encourage the separation of paper and beverage containers. Containers will be distributed to single family residences, multi-family dwellings, motels/hotels and public venues, such as local transportation centers, community event locations, schools, businesses, restaurants and parks. Rockland County
- $1 million to the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority for a wood storage and drying system at the Authority's co-composting facility. Schenectady County
- $362,340 to the City of Schenectady for the replacement of eight trucks to collect curbside recyclables. Schuyler County
- $26,770 to Schuyler County for the partial funding of a recycling coordinator and for public education. St. Lawrence County
- $7,168 to St. Lawrence County for the installation of concrete walls to create a grade separation that will allow the Village of Massena's recycling trucks to dump recyclables directly into roll-off containers. Suffolk County
- $103,872 to the Town of Islip for partial funding of a recycling coordinator and for public education.
- $12,444 to the Town of Riverhead for the purchase of an asphalt reclaimer unit that will reuse previously discarded asphalt debris.
- $1.6 million to the Town of Southold for the acquisition of a site, the development of a yard waste composting facility, and for the purchase of a windrow turner to be used at the facility. Sullivan County
- $362,260 to Sullivan County for the purchase of processing equipment at the County's materials recovery facility. Ulster County
- $2 million to the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency for a materials recovery facility including the construction of a pre-engineered metal building and the purchase of equipment for processing paper recyclables and commingled containers (plastics, metals and glass).
- $10,111 to the Town of Ulster for recycling center improvements. Wayne County
- $84,278 to the Village of Sodus for a biosolids compost building and the purchase of associated equipment. Westchester County
- $3,820 to the Village of Dobbs Ferry for the purchase of two tipper dump truck bodies to collect recyclables on narrow streets, dead ends and cul-de-sacs.
- $88,235 to the Village of Irvington for the replacement of a Village recycling truck designed to improve the efficiency of the Village's recyclables collection program. Yates County