Ecology awards $5 million of voter-approved funding for local environmental projects around Washington

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - November 24, 2008

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Ecology awards $5 million of voter-approved funding for local environmental projects around Washington

OLYMPIA – Local governments are receiving an influx of $5 million from the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) to fund environmental projects from green building and composting/chipping to waste reduction/recycling and product stewardship.

Projects all across the state received Coordinated Prevention Grant funding, including a total of $1,710,086 for projects in nine counties in Ecology’s Southwest and Olympic Peninsula region: Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skamania and Thurston counties.

The grants are made possible by a voter-approved initiative for reducing toxic threats in Washington.

In awarding the grants, Ecology evaluated requests totaling $10 million for the available $5 million in grant funds. Sixty-five projects were chosen through a competitive process. The grant amounts range from $3,975 to $487,500.

“These grants give local communities the resources to move basic environmental work to a more sustainable level. Much of the money will go to programs that expand recycling, composting and toxics reduction efforts,” said Ecology Director Jay Manning. “A clean, green Washington is good for our public health and our economy. These are innovative projects and we are happy to move them forward.”

Funds were awarded in five categories, with the following totals:

Organics (yard and food waste, land-clearing debris): $2,163,550
Waste Reduction, Recycling and Planning: $827,400
Solid Waste Enforcement: $761,333
Green building: $692,458
Moderate Risk Waste (small amount, household sources): $578,575

Most of the CPG funding - $4 million – is provided by the Legislature through the Ecology’s Beyond Waste program, which supports efforts to reduce the amount of waste and toxic substances generated.

These funds come from a hazardous substance tax created by Washington voters when they passed Initiative 97 – the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) – in 1988. MTCA is dedicated to environmental cleanups and protection in Washington.

Grants support 23 projects in the Olympic Peninsula and Southwest region.

The Coordinated Prevention Grants are awarded by Ecology to local governments to help them manage solid and household hazardous-wastes, prevent illegal dumping and promote recycling and composting programs.

Clallam County will partner with Port Angeles and Sequim to use a $15,000 grant to create markets for construction and demolition materials. The goal is to reduce the amount of reusable building materials in the waste stream. Contact: John Miller, 360-417-2323.

Clark County Solid Waste will receive four grants:

$9,000 to develop and launch a new online exchange for food rescue and recovery in order to help reduce hunger. Contact: Bob Patterson, 360-397-6118 x 4016.
$67,500 to provide 100 low-income families with worm bins and raised-bed home gardens at no cost to qualifying participants. Contact: Peter DuBois, 360-397-6118 x 4961.
$120,000 to plan for what a sustainably built future might include by marketing local green development and considering how to integrate that into local planning and development over the next 15 years. Contact: Peter DuBois, 360-397-6118 x 4961.
$187,500 to implement the Washington Green Schools, a statewide initiative to provide a web-based, hands-on structure for schools to operate environmentally efficient and responsible facilities and integrate an environmental focus inside and outside the classroom. Contact: Erin Rowland, 360-397-6118 x 4830.

Cowlitz County Public Works will receive two grants:

$18,750 to update the county’s existing Moderate Risk Waste Plan. Contact: Don Olson, 360-577-3125.
$96,000 to purchase equipment to screen material at the Cowlitz County landfill compost facility. This will divert 508 tons of organic material annually. Contact: Don Olson, 360-577-3125.

Jefferson County will receive two grants:

$48,584 for the Public Health department to increase its enforcement of solid waste code. Contact: Susan Porto, 360-385-9444.
$74,246 for the Public Works department to provide staff time and support the Community Gardens initiative, provide composting workshops and establish an elementary school campus gardening program for two or more school districts. Contact: Al Cairns, 360-385-9243.

Lewis County will use a $15,000 grant to improve the way it processes paint collected at its hazardous waste facility. Contact: Mark Bronson, 360-740-1221.

Mason County will receive three grants:

$58,300 for the county to partner with the director of food services to plan and implement worm composting, or an in-vessel composter at two schools. Contact: David Baker, 360-427-7771.
$96,438 to expand the capacity of its Moderate Risk Waste Facility using green building techniques and expand services available and material collected. Contact: David Baker, 360-427-7771.
$123,850 to work with the prison to develop and implement an on-site, in-vessel food waste composting system. Contact: David Baker, 360-427-7771.

Tacoma Pierce County Health Department will receive two grants:

$44,681 to conduct more detailed landfill gas, groundwater and/or surface water monitoring at 10 of the 31 known landfills closed prior to solid waste regulations. Contact: John Sherman, 253-798-6528.
$88,236 grant to increase awareness of natural yard care practices. Contact: John Sherman, 253-798-6528.

City of Olympia will receive two grants:

$11,625 to increase commercial participation in the city's curbside food waste collection program, diverting 1000 tons of organic material annually. Contact: Ron Jones, 360-753-8509.
$37,854 to expand its public event recycling program, including an upgrade of the existing collection infrastructure to include organics collection. Contact: Ron Jones, 360-753-8509.

Thurston County will receive five grants:

$6,000 for Waste Water Management to develop educational signage for the Hands On Children's Museum new LEED-certified building to highlight green building features. Contact: Terri Thomas, 360-754-2896.
$53,880 for Waste Water Management to provide compost workshops and sell 1,400 composting bins to county residents, diverting 291 tons of organic material annually. Contact: Terri Thomas, 360-754-2896.
$137,520 for Waste Water Management to implement permitting process incentives or requirements that will increase the reuse and recycling of building materials. Contact: Terri Thomas, 360-754-2896.
$85,125 for Public Health and Social Services to promote the least-toxic and environmentally preferable options for pest/weed control through chemical reviews and subsequent Integrated Pest Management policy. Contact: Gerald Tousley, 360-754-4111.
$261,425 for Public Health and Social Services to increase enforcement of solid waste codes by partnering with the prosecuting attorney’s office. Contact: Gerald Tousley, 360-754-4111.

For a listing of all the grant projects statewide, link here: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/grants/CPG0910OffSetListPR.pdf

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Media Contacts:
Seth Preston, media relations, 360-407-6848 or spre461@ecy.wa.gov
Kim Schmanke, media relations, 360-407-6239 or kisc461@ecy.wa.gov
Kathy Davis, media relations, 360-407-6149
Shelly McMurry, Solid Waste and Financial Assistance, 360-407-6223

For more information:
Coordinated Prevention Grants Program: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/grants/cpg.html
Beyond Waste Initiative: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/beyondwaste/