Mississippi DEQ awards grants to boost solid waste and recycling efforts

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Jackson, Mississippi, has announced the newest recipients of its Solid Waste Assistance Grants.

The grants are used by local communities for programs to prevent and clean up unauthorized dumps; to aid in hiring local solid waste enforcement officers; for public education efforts on solid waste disposal and recycling; and to establish programs for the collection of white goods, bulky wastes and recyclables.

The recent recipients of the state’s solid waste planning or recycling grants include:

• Northeast Mississippi Solid Waste Authority, Walnut, Mississippi: a solid waste planning grant of $36,000 that will be used for a solid waste management plan. The authority serves seven counties in the state.
• Yazoo City, Mississippi: a $24,000 two-year waste tire grant to continue its local waste tire collection program for small quantity generators of waste tires. Funding for the tire grants is provided by a waste tire account funded from a fee charged on the wholesale sale of every new motor vehicle tire sold in the state.
• Neshoba County: $22,800 that will be used by the county for a solid waste management plan.
• Claiborne County: $38,344 that will be used for a solid waste enforcement officer and its cleanup program.
• Warren County: $50,000 that will be used for a household hazardous waste collection event on June 16 and for illegal dumpsite cleanup.

Cities and counties in Mississippi may apply for Solid Waste Assistance Grants through the state’s DEQ.