SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Illinois EPA announced on Tuesday that new grant funding will go toward assisting counties and units of local governments in implementing planning obligations for solid waste.
Under the Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (SWPRA), counties and units of local government are obligated to revisit their Illinois Solid Waste Management Plans every five years and, if necessary, submit plans with significant updates to the Illinois EPA. Through these grants, the Illinois EPA intends to provide interested counties and other units of local government financial assistance to help prepare their next plan update.
“These grants provide an important resource to county and local governments as they meet their obligations to update their plans for managing solid waste disposal and recycling,” said Illinois EPA Director Kim. “This is the second funding cycle Illinois EPA has offered, following a recommendation from the Statewide Material Management Advisory Committee to provide financial support leading to meaningful updates to these plans.”
Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
- Conducting a local solid waste and materials management needs assessment
- Surveying local solid waste and materials management needs assessment
- Surveying local solid waste and materials management stakeholders to determine programmatic expansion viability
- Internally authoring solid waste management plan updates
- Procuring consulting services to prepare solid waste management plan updates.
Each county or unit of local government is eligible for up to $10,000 in funding. All required forms and information can be found online and applications will be accepted through March 3. Applicants must first be pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability Act Guarantee Portal.
