PRESS RELEASE
from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

For more information,contact
Carla Felix (402) 471-4223,
Amanda Woita (402) 471-4243,
Nathanael Urie (402) 471-4245, or
For Immediate Release
June 2, 2016

NDEQ Awards $3.45 Million in Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants


Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy today announced the awarding of $3,454,825 in grants through the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant 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. The grants are provided to local integrated waste management projects including: recycling systems, household hazardous waste collection programs, transfer stations, and yard waste composting. Tire fee grants totaling $2.08 million for projects related to tire recycling were previously announced in April.

The table below provides a list, by city, of all 2016 grantees, and includes the amount awarded and a description of the projects receiving grant support.

2016 Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant Award Recipients

City
Organization
Award Amount
Application Summary
Ceresco
Sid Dillon Ford, Inc.
$7,350
Purchase a waste oil burner heating system.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
$42,706
Expenses to collect cardboard and paper from over 50 locations in Chadron for shipment to market.
Columbus
Keep Columbus Beautiful
$12,440
Host a one-day household hazardous waste collection event for Columbus and Platte County residents.
Columbus
Keep Columbus Beautiful
$10,375
Two computer and electronic collection events for Platte County residents.
Falls City
Recycling Center Inc.
$34,750
Skidsteer for recycling center.
Fremont
Keep Fremont Beautiful, Inc.
$36,108
Host a one-day household hazardous waste event for Fremont and Dodge County.
Fremont
City of Fremont/Dept. of Utilities
$407,500
Funds toward a compost turner to process 4,000 tons of biosolids and 1,800 tons of yard waste annually.
Gering
City of Gering
$169,588
Funds toward a shredder/grinder for use at the City of Gering landfill.
Kimball
Keep Kimball Beautiful
$20,850
Expenses to provide recycling collection services to rural residents and area businesses in Kimball.
Lexington
Lexington Area Solid Waste Agency
$31,540
Host 6-8 household hazardous waste and e-waste collection events in the LASWA service area.
Lincoln
Lincoln/Lancaster County Habitat for Humanity
$10,136
Host a donation event in Lincoln to collect new/gently used furnishings and home improvement products for the Habitat for Humanity's ReStore.
Lincoln
Keep Nebraska Beautiful
$53,224
Fund the Nebraska Materials Exchange Program to find recycling and reuse recipients for products no longer needed by businesses.
Lincoln
WasteCap Nebraska
$93,530
Develop policies and plans to increase waste reduction and resource recovery in Hastings, Broken Bow, and Louisville.
Lincoln
Lincoln Public Schools
$31,024
Recycling containers and expenses to continue recycling at all LPS buildings.
Lincoln
Solid Waste Management Division of Public Works and Utilities
$225,000
Funds to hire a consulting firm to promote waste reduction and increase the amount of material reused and recycled in Lincoln.
Lincoln
Solid Waste Management Division Public Works and Utilities
$114,000
Purchase 17 thirty-cubic-yard containers for recycling at the Lincoln-Lancaster County's 29 drop-off sites.
Lincoln
Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department
$175,000
Host 5-6 household hazardous waste collections and 2 small business waste collections.
Lincoln
Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department
$300,000
Contractual services for the Lincoln Lancaster Co. Health Dept. to site a permanent household hazardous waste facility for Lincoln/Lancaster Co. residents.
McCook
Red Willow County
$171,072
Conduct 47 household hazardous waste collections and 17 pickup/disposals in 23 Nebraska counties. Purchase light bulb/tube crusher and computer to assist with collections.
Mexico, MO
Enginuity Worldwide
$250,525
Feasibility work to produce Enginuity Bio-Coal engineered biomass fuel, and develop new Nebraska-grown renewable bio-based products from agricultural waste materials that will be diverted from landfills.
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
$13,118
Pilot project with ABC Recycling to recycle and divert industrial materials from businesses. Year 1 targets: NPPD Gerald Gentleman Station and Great Plains Health.
Oakland
Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D Council
$17,320
Conduct three household hazardous waste collection events in the NE Loess Hills RC&D Council's service area.
Oakland
Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D Council
$2,438
Conduct one electronics waste collection event in Scribner.
Ogallala
Western Resources Group
$54,812
Market development to produce animal bedding made from paperboard and corrugated cardboard.
Omaha
Green Recycling Enterprises, LLC
$74,851
Purchase 45 recycling containers to expand the "Recycle on the Go" program in Lincoln, Elkhorn and Omaha.
Omaha
Firstar Fiber
$47,500
Funds toward a shredder to turn agricultural plastic film (bales, tarps, bags) into industrial grade waxes and additives.
Omaha
Scrap Central, Inc.
$350,000
Funds toward a wire chopper to separate copper from plastic insulation and divert materials from the landfill.
Omaha
Goodwill Industries, Inc.
$41,486
50% of the cost of a truck to collect end-of-life electronic equipment for recycling.
Omaha
Nebraska State Recycling Association
$31,500
Mini-grant program to pay operational costs of struggling non-profit and municipal recycling programs.
Omaha
City of Omaha – “Under The Sink” Household Hazardous Waste Facility
$325,000
Expenses to operate Omaha's "Under The Sink" regional household hazardous waste facility for Douglas and Sarpy counties.
Papillion
Papio Valley Nursery
$75,000
Funds toward a wood burning boiler system to burn wood chip waste from wholesale nursery operation to heat several greenhouses in winter.
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff Gering Beautiful
$27,676
Host one household hazardous waste collection event for Scottsbluff, Gering, Terrytown and surrounding area.
Sidney
Keep Sidney Beautiful
$5,450
Host one electronics collection event for Sidney residents.
South Sioux City
City of South Sioux City
$12,102
50% of the cost of a compost spreader to apply material on public lands.
Springfield
Soil Dynamics Composting Farm, Inc.
$25,281
50% of the cost of an eco-friendly garbage can wash system/trailer in connection with Louisville Public Schools' organic food waste diversion project "No Waste Zone."
Valentine
Middle Niobrara NRD
$150,000
Purchase a wood chipper and expenses to reduce overgrown Eastern Red Cedar and Ponderosa Pine trees in NRD area. Wood chips to be recycled and sold.
Wayne
City of Wayne
$4,573
Host an electronics waste collection event for residents of the City of Wayne.