• the Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program;

• the Illegal Dumpsite Cleanup Program; and

• the Landfill Disposal Fee Rebate Program.

In 1990, the Nebraska Legislature passed Legislative Bill 163, the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act, which created the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program.

There are three sources of revenue for this program:

1. A business fee on sales of tangible personal property, which generates about $500,000 annually.
   



2. A $1 per tire fee on the retail sale of new tires in Nebraska, which generates about $1.9 million annually;
   



3. Fifty percent of the $1.25 per ton disposal fee on solid waste disposed of in permitted landfills, which generates approximately $1.2 million annually for grant awards.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund provides grants to assist in financing sound integrated waste management programs and projects. These programs and projects may include but are not limited to:

• recycling systems;


• market development for recyclable materials;


• intermediate processing facilities and facilities using recyclable materials in new products;


• yard waste composting and composting with sewage sludge;


• waste reduction and waste exchange;


• household hazardous waste programs;


• the consolidation of solid waste disposal facilities and use of transfer stations; and


• incineration for energy recovery.

A portion of the grants is also obligated to fund scrap tire recycling or reduction projects and a portion of the grants are available to smaller cities and counties for abandoned building deconstruction.

The Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program has been in existence since 1979. Its purpose is to provide funds to support programs to reduce litter, provide education, and promote recycling in Nebraska.

Funds from this program are provided from an annual fee assessed to manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers having gross receipts of at least $100,000, on products that commonly contribute to litter.

For manufacturers, the annual litter fee is equal to $175 for each million dollars of products manufactured. The annual litter fee for wholesalers and retailers is equal to $175 for each million dollars of sales made in the state. Approximately $1.8 million is received annually.