County Recycling Center awarded more than $325K with two state grants

Janie Slaven, Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, Ky.
·2 min read

May 21—Pulaski County's Solid Waste and Recycling Department got some great news this week with the latest announcement of state environmental grants.

The department has been awarded a recycling grant in the amount of $301,249.20 as well as a $25,000 composting grant.

"We had a big month in April with our cleanup activities," Pulaski County Recycling/Solid Waste Coordinator Danny Masten said Friday. "Then to top it off by having these grants come in is wonderful."

The awards were part of Monday's announcement of nearly $4.7 million in grants to Kentucky municipalities, fiscal courts and universities for 71 projects to expand recycling, reduce the amount of solid waste going into landfills, and improve the environmental management of household hazardous waste.

"I am pleased that so many municipalities are stepping up to reuse and recycle to reduce the amount of solid waste piling up in our landfills," Gov. Andy Beshear said. "This promotes a healthy Kentucky and shows care for the environment and for each other."

The recycling grant provides funds for counties to purchase recycling equipment with the goal of promoting sustainable regional recycling infrastructure in Kentucky while the composting grant funds the purchase of equipment to improve composting and promote creative solutions for managing food waste, lawn waste and other organic material.

Masten said that the county's composting grant will be used to pay for quarterly grinding services at the Pulaski County and City of Somerset Compost Dump Site off Ky. 914.

The recycling grant will go toward several things including replacing old equipment, purchasing additional equipment and containers, and maintaining the department's app for mobile devices.

These grants require a 25 percent local match in the form of cash or "in kind" labor, educational activities or advertising to promote the program from those receiving the awards.

Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman noted some of these projects raise awareness about the importance of recycling home electronic equipment, which can contain metals such as mercury, which would be harmful to human health if put into landfills.

"We all need to consider the life cycle of products and how we carefully dispose of them," Sec. Goodman said.

Funding for the grants comes from the Kentucky Pride Fund, which is generated by a $1.75 fee for each ton of municipal solid waste disposed of in Kentucky landfills.