West Virginia awards recycling grants

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced the awarding of grants totaling $2.2 million to 35 recipients in 26 counties in West Virginia as part of its Rehabilitation Environmental Action Program (REAP) Recycling Assistance Grants Program. The grants were presented during a ceremony at the DEP’s Charleston, West Virginia, headquarters and were awarded to solid waste authorities, county commissions, municipalities, private companies and nonprofit organizations.

In the 24 years of the recycling grant program REAP has awarded more than $36 million dollars to various organizations in West Virginia. Funding for the grants is generated from a $1 assessment fee per ton of solid waste disposed of at in-state landfills.

The five largest December 2015 grant recipients were:

• $150,000 to the Greenbrier County Solid Waste Authority to assist with building expansion for recycling drop-off and storage for the county-wide program;
• $150,000 to the Pocahontas County Solid Waste Authority to purchase a skid steer, a portable loading dock, roll-off containers with covers, recycling costs, labor, transportation, conference attendance fees and educational pamphlets for the county-wide program.
• $149,657 to the Marion County Solid Waste Authority to assist with the purchase of a horizontal baler with conveyor, sort line conveyor and recycling containers for the county-wide program;  
• $145,900 to the Putnam County Solid Waste Authority to assist with the recycling rolloff box pulls, mobile home recycling, a pre-recyclable chopper and conveyor, a sorting conveyor, picking station, a magnetic separator, recycling rolloff boxes, recycling advertising and education, floor scales and self-dumping hoppers for the county-wide program; and
• $141,1000 to the Region VIII Solid Waste Authority in Grant County to purchase a baler, storage building, forklift, materials and supplies and to assist with labor and the electrical contractor for the county-wide program.

 Among the private sector recyclers receiving grants were:

• West Virginia Cashin Recyclables, based in Nitro, which received $75,000 to purchase a wire granulator plant;
• Vance Trading, based in Davin, which received $75,000 to purchase a trailer and shear; and
• Empire Salvage and Recycling in Princeton, which received $75,000 to purchase a material handler.

 
The complete list of grant recipients can be found here.