HENDERSON, Ky. — Henderson and Union counties have been awarded a portion of $4.8 million in grants for recycling and management of household hazardous waste.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet announced Friday that Henderson County Fiscal Court will receive $101,018 for recycling and $15,655 for household hazardous waste management.
Union County Fiscal Court will receive $17,031.84 for recycling and $10,500 for hazardous waste management.
The purpose behind the grants is to help counties, cities and municipalities "expand recycling, reduce the amount of solid waste going into landfills and improve the environmental management of household hazardous waste," officials said.
The recycling grant provides funds for counties to purchase recycling equipment with the goal of promoting sustainable regional recycling infrastructure in Kentucky, a news release said.
The hazardous waste grant provides funds for counties to conduct annual drop-off events for their citizens to dispose of household chemicals, old electronics and other potentially hazardous wastes.
Multiple counties and cities were also awarded grants for composting efforts.
Henderson County's Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator Nancy Watkins said the funds will assist the county's efforts greatly.
"The household hazardous waste grant will sponsor our annual hazardous waste day (in November)," she said. "That is where people can bring in oil based paints, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, household chemicals and items containing mercury. The money will help pay for the disposal of these things. A company comes in from Cincinnati, and they properly dispose of them."
The larger recycling grant, Watkins said, came at a perfect time after a much used piece of equipment — a Bobcat skid steer — blew up.
"The $101,018 part if it will be for a new fork truck, new Bobcat Skid steer equipment and orphan tire disposal. That's where we find an illegal dump with tires, a portion of that pays for the clean up," she said.
"I didn't think we'd even get both pieces of equipment because every year you turn in an application you never know what you're going to get."
Getting grants, she said, is "pretty neat. I'm really excited, and pretty proud. We desperately needed the Bobcat."
The 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, state officials said.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman said some of these projects raise awareness about the importance of recycling home electronic equipment that 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,” 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.
