For more information, contact:
Carla Felix (402) 471-4223
Amanda Woita (402) 471-4243
Nathanael Urie (402) 471-4245
carla.felix@nebraska.gov
amanda.woita@nebraska.gov
nathanael.urie@nebraska.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2017

NDEQ Awards $2.62 Million in Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants


Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy today announced the awarding of $2,623,217 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 $1.71 million for projects related to tire recycling were previously announced in May (more information).

The table below provides a list, by city, of all 2017 grantees, and includes the amount awarded and a description of the projects receiving grant support.

2017 Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant Award Recipients


City
Organization
Award Amount
Project Description
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
$46,729
Funding to collect cardboard and office paper from 50-60 locations in the City of Chadron.
Columbus
Keep Columbus Beautiful
$8,025
Host two electronics collection events for Platte County.
Columbus
Keep Columbus Beautiful, Inc.
$19,931
Host one household hazardous waste collection event for Platte County.
Fremont
Keep Fremont Beautiful, Inc.
$36,828
Host one household hazardous waste collection event for Dodge County, plus two all-metal collections, and an electronics drop site for TVs and neighborhood cardboard recycling sites.
Fremont
City of Fremont/Dept. of Utilities
$478,000
Funds toward a wood/tub grinder for the cities of Fremont and Blair to process trees infected with emerald ash borer. Wood chips to be used for composting, agricultural bedding, and mulch.
Grand Island
Grand Island Area Clean Community System
$159,449
Operational costs for the Betty Curtis Household Hazardous Waste facility and hold collection events in Grand Island.
Gretna
City of Gretna
$85,267
Funds toward a wood chipper, compact track loader, and utility vehicle, to trim trees and process downed limbs in parks and right-of-ways.
Holdrege
Educational Service Unit #11
$11,577
Funding to clean out chemicals from four high schools in Bertrand, Arapahoe, Minden, and Franklin.
Howells
Village of Howells
$9,490
Funds to crush 2,000 tons of existing concrete piles. Aggregate will be used for road and alley maintenance, athletic field parking lots, and base for training facility for fire department.
Kearney
City of Kearney
$145,719
Horizontal cardboard baler with in-floor conveyor.
Kimball
Keep Kimball Beautiful
$16,810
Funding to collect recyclables from businesses and other locations in Kimball. Also host one household hazardous waste collection event for Kimball County.
Lexington
Lexington Area Solid Waste Agency
$34,470
Host 6-8 household hazardous waste and electronic waste collection events.
Lincoln
Nebraska Farmers Union
$21,110
Equipment and operating expenses for a commercial vermicomposting operation in Lincoln.
Lincoln
Lincoln Public Schools
$32,354
Funds to continue recycling at Lincoln Public Schools, serving over 40,000 students and 8,000 employees.
Lincoln
WasteCap Nebraska
$59,834
Funding to create a hub and spoke pilot project for recycling in northeast Nebraska.
Lincoln
Keep Nebraska Beautiful
$73,910
Fund three state-wide programs: Nebraska Materials Exchange, Nebraska Used Oil Collection, and Nebraska Food Waste Reduction Program
Lincoln
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
$241,347
Expenses for household hazardous waste disposal; plus branding and marketing for the new hazardous materials collection center. Hold 3-5 mobile household hazardous waste collections and 4 small business waste collections.
Lincoln
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
$99,820
Funds for student interns to develop on-site technical assistance and education to five Nebraska manufacturers. Anticipate $500,000 annual waste reduction cost savings.
McCook
Red Willow County
$214,273
Hold 50 household hazardous waste collection events and 14 pick-up disposals for various Nebraska communities.
Mead
Integrated Recycling LLC
$49,750
Funds toward a tractor to pull their current compost turner to process cattle manure, organic solids from an anaerobic digester, and yard waste.
Oakland
Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D Council
$17,242
Hold three household hazardous waste collection events in Blair, Hooper, and Walthill.
Ogallala
Western Resources Group
$72,837
Funding to help increase recycling efforts in rural communities.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful
$6,455
Host one household hazardous waste collection event for Keith, Arthur, Deuel, and Garden Counties.
Omaha
Firstar Fiber, Inc.
$150,000
Funds toward recycling sorting equipment to increase processing from 30,000 to 50-60,000 tons annually.
Omaha
Open Door Mission
$10,000
Funds toward 200 plastic gaylord containers for use in storing food items and donations.
Omaha
City of Omaha -- UnderTheSink Household Hazardous Waste Facility
$331,250
Funds to operate Omaha's Under the Sink household hazardous waste facility, serving Douglas and Sarpy Counties. (Second year of a five-year grant.)
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff Gering Beautiful
$18,000
Host one household hazardous waste collection event for Scottsbluff, Terrytown, Gering, and the surrounding area.
Valentine
Middle Niobrara NRD
$132,922
Funds toward a compost turner to mix wood chips and animal manure, food/yard waste, or animal carcasses to study field application rates for best crop yields.
Waverly
City of Waverly
$35,000
Funds toward a brush chipper to turn wood waste into wood chips for landscaping at city parks, the cemetery, and residences in Waverly.
Wayne
City of Wayne
$4,818
Host one electronics collection event for citizens of the City of Wayne.