July 10, 2014
READING, July 10, 2014 – More Berks County residents will be able to recycle their waste now that $110,000 in new state grants is headed to two local governments’ recycling programs, state Sen. Judy Schwank announced today.
Exeter Township will receive $79,781 through the Recycling Performance Grant Program for diverting 9,012 tons of waste from landfills through its municipal recycling program in 2011.
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority will receive three grants worth a total of $31,143 through The PA Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program.
“Exeter Township officials and residents can be proud of the success of their local recycling program, and this grant is appropriate proof of their good work,” said Sen. Schwank. “And, now that they are they helping to protect our environment by helping more people recycle their waste, they are getting new state investments to help them do more.”
Recycling performance grants are an incentive for Pennsylvania communities to increase the amount of materials they recycle as they promote economic growth through job creation and market expansion.
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority is getting three grants totaling $31,143 from the Pennsylvania Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program, which reimburses local governments for half of the cost of developing and operating household hazardous waste collection events.
“Most people know about recycling, but not everyone has the opportunity to participate,” Schwank said. “Collections events are great ways to send unwanted plastic, glass, paper and metal to companies that can re-use the waste for other beneficial products, and I am pleased the authority is getting this money so it can continue its good work.”
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May 6, 2014
HARRISBURG, May 6, 2014 – More Berks County residents will be able to recycle more of their consumer waste with the awarding of $1.25 million from Pennsylvania’s Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act.
“Since Act 101 was implemented in 1988, the commonwealth has awarded millions to help residents in the 11th Senatorial District and throughout the state keep more paper, plastic, metal, and glass out of our landfills,” Sen. Schwank said today. “While many Berks Countians recycle now, this 54th round of recycling grants from the state will help us increase our efforts to protect our environment.”
Grant funding is used by municipalities to develop and implement recycling programs.
Projects can range from the operation of compost facilities and web-based recycling programs to the addition of recycling capacity and the development of educational materials to encourage more people to not throw recyclable goods into the trash.
“Agriculture is a vital industry in Berks County. Losing it to landfills would be a shame and unnecessary,” Schwank said. “I’m pleased that 10 of our communities will benefit with this latest round of funding.”
Act 101 mandates recycling in municipalities with more than 10,000 residents. Municipalities with 5,000 to 10,000 people and have a population density greater than 300 people per square mile must also recycle.
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Editor’s Note: The list of Berks County communities receiving Act 101 grants follows:
APPLICANT PROJECT $$$
Berks County Recycling Recycling Center $109,849
Bern Township Leaf waste, curbside recycling $64,171
Cumru Township Leaf waste collection $247,565
Exeter Township Leaf waste, curbside recycling $99,004
Kutztown Borough Recycling center, leaf waste collection $250,000
Maidencreek Township Curbside, educational recycling programs $89,887
Mount Penn Borough Curbside, leaf waste recycling programs $69,983
Topton Borough Curbside, leaf waste recycling programs $101,281
Wernersville Borough Leaf waste program $121,852
Wyomissing Borough Curbside, leaf waste recycling programs $98,987
February 11, 2014
HARRISBURG, Feb. 11, 2014 – State Senator Judy Schwank said today she will introduce legislation to preserve the authority of communities to use local fees to support their recycling programs.
“For more than two decades, nobody questioned whether municipalities have that ability,” the Berks County Democrat said. “My bill would make very clear that is in fact the case.”
In October, Commonwealth Court ruled that the state’s Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling Waste Reduction law, Act 101 of 1988, required Reading to discontinue its monthly recycling fee, raising concerns statewide that such fees are illegal.
The decision later became moot when it was learned it had been entered after the man who challenged the Reading ordinance had filed for bankruptcy protection, stripping the court of authority in the case. It has nonetheless stirred concerns that a similar suit against Reading or another municipality could lead to a similar ruling.
Until the court’s decision, Reading had been assessing the fee for two decades, and it covered about 90 percent of the city’s annual $2.7 million recycling budget.
“Recycling has proved its value to the community,” Schwank (D-Berks) said today. “The court’s decision was a shock, since places like Reading have depended on the fees for years. The court said they have to rely on state grants and proceeds from marketing the recycled materials, and that just is not realistic to cover the costs of recycling programs.
“While the court noted municipalities are excused from the state’s requirements to recycle where funding is insufficient, officials across Pennsylvania believe the loss of fee authority likely would end or severely cripple municipal recycling,” Schwank said. “My bill would make clear that the law does permit local fees for recycling.”
Act 101 requires municipalities of at least 10,000 to operate curbside recycling programs. Grants are available to help offset costs, but they are typically insufficient to cover all of a community’s expenses as they relate to waste reduction efforts.
Berks County recycled a total of 228,000 tons of material in 2009, the most recent statistics available from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Act 101 website.
Berks County’s total was the sixth largest amount of recycled material in the state (behind Philadelphia County, 1.2 million tons; Allegheny County, 470,000 tons; Lehigh County, 262,000 tons; Montgomery County, 252,000 tons; and Beaver County, 250,000 tons).
State grants are available to help municipalities prepare recycling and waste management plans, start recycling programs, pay for recycling program coordinators and inspectors, and to collect household hazardous waste.
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March 6, 2012
READING, March 6, 2012 — The Berks County Solid Waste Authority and two local municipalities have been awarded significant state grants for their recycling efforts, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank.
“These funds will enhance local recycling efforts that will, in turn, improve our environment,” Schwank said. “I’m pleased that the state is encouraging communities to make Pennsylvania a cleaner and greener place to live and work.”
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority received a $26,310.92 grant that will be used to reimburse 50 percent of the costs for developing and operating a November 2011 household hazardous waste collection event at the Exeter Township Municipal Building. The grant was authorized by the Pennsylvania Small Business and Household Pollution Prevent Grant Program.
Kenhorst Borough received a $7,585 Recycling Performance Grant, based on the 475.1 tons recycled by the borough in 2009 and the borough’s population. Mohnton Borough received a $7,669 Recycling Performance Grant, based on the 371.2 tons recycled in 2009 and the borough’s population. This grant program provides incentives to help communities increase recycling and promote economic growth.
The grant programs operate under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
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September 27, 2011
September 27, 2011, Harrisburg – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) announced today that Berks County will receive nearly $27,000 in state grants to assist with recycling efforts and waste management.
“Recycling and waste management are two effective ways to combat pollution in Pennsylvania,” Schwank said. “The Department of Environmental Protection recognizes this and works diligently to provide local communities the resources they need to combat pollution. These funds will go a long way toward helping these communities with their recycling and waste management programs.”
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority will receive a $22,861 grant to reimburse 50 percent of the costs for developing and operating a household hazardous waste (HHW) collection at the Exeter Township Municipal Building, which was held on April 26. The Authority also received a $2,087 to reimburse 50 percent of the costs for the development and operation of a HHW collection event for pharmaceuticals, which was held on April 16.
These grant funds were distributed through DEP’s Pennsylvania Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program.
Also receiving grant funding was Fleetwood Borough. The borough received $2,026 based on the 187.2 tons of recycling in 2009 and the municipality’s population. The funding, provided through DEP’s Recycling Performance Grant Program, was awarded to help the borough increase the amount of materials recycled.
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