Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Linder has announced the awarding of $1,890,250 in 67 grants for litter cleanup, recycling, and public education programs and activities. Funds for the Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program are generated from a fee charged to certain manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of products that commonly contribute to litter.

“Once again, the department received applications from many outstanding projects from across the state,” Linder said. “Local programs and communities are essential to the state’s efforts to promote litter reduction and recycling.”

Examples of this year’s projects include:

Trailblazer Resource Conservation & Development was awarded $23,057 to conduct Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events in seven counties (Clay, Nuckolls, Fillmore, Thayer, Webster, Franklin and Harlan) on two consecutive weekends. The events will be done in conjunction with county and community boards, the Little Blue Natural Resources District and the Lower Republican Natural Resources District. These events constitute free and safe disposal methods for unwanted and potentially dangerous material and also reduced the potential for ground or surface water contamination.

Keep Kimball Beautiful was awarded $27,864 to enable them to continue operation of the recycling program serving the City & County of Kimball. In less than two years, the program has resulted in a 63% increase in the collection of recyclables. In addition, the funds awarded will pay for a forklift to help in loading materials for shipment to market.

The City of Lincoln was awarded $21,065 to purchase over 400 Clearstream recycling containers to be used initially at 17 event and sporting competition locations for the Special Olympics to be held in Lincoln in 2010. The events will be promoted as "Litter Free" and "Zero Waste" events and are a joint venture between the City of Lincoln, University of Nebraska, Lincoln Public Schools and the Special Olympics. The containers will continue to be used at future events by the participating partners after the Special Olympics have concluded.

Below is a listing of all grantees for 2010, by category. (At the bottom of the page is a PDF listing of grants by town, which contains a description of what the grants will be used for.)

Recycling Grant Awards: Carpet Pad Recovery, LLC, Omaha, $74,160; Carpet Pad Recovery, LLC, Omaha, $21,030; Cass County, Plattsmouth, $110,000; City of Cozad, Cozad, $3,250; City of Hartington, Hartington, $54,293; City of Holdrege, Holdrege, $28,621; City of Laurel, Laurel, $58,901; City of Lincoln / Solid Waste Operations, Lincoln, $21,065; City of South Sioux City, South Sioux City, $56,575; Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska, Inc, Grand Island, $8,713; Journal Star Recycling, Lincoln, $101,816; Keep Alliance Beautiful, Alliance, $40,877; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Beatrice, $5,366; Keep Chadron Beautiful, Chadron, $4,606; Keep Fremont Beautiful, Fremont, $20,361; Keep Keith County Beautiful, Ogallala, $4,400; Keep Kimball Beautiful, Kimball, $27,864; Keep North Platte-Lincoln County Beautiful, North Platte, $38,951; Keep Schuyler Beautiful, Schuyler, $29,825; Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, Scottsbluff, $35,885; Northeast Nebraska RC&D Council, Inc., Plainview, $12,606; RecycleLink / Uribe Refuse Services, Inc., Lincoln, $73,718; RecyclePal, Inc., Omaha, $39,000; Saint Francis Medical Center, Grand Island, $3,583; Salvation Army, Grand Island, $12,629; Trailblazer Resource Conservation and Development, Red Cloud, $23,057; U.S. Recycling Company, Ogallala, $24,000; U.S. Recycling Company, Ogallala, $100,000; University of NE-Lincoln (Landscape Services), Lincoln, $22,541; Village of Verdigre, Verdigre, $9,500; WasteCap Nebraska, Lincoln, $139,000; WasteCap Nebraska, Lincoln, $59,887.

Cleanup Grant Awards: Alexandria Community Club, Alexandria, $850; East Central District Health Department, Columbus, $1,675; Educational Service Unit #1, Wakefield, $5,050; Grand Island Area Clean Community System, Grand Island, $5,875; Keep Alliance Beautiful, Alliance, $5,400; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Beatrice, $6,300; Keep Chadron Beautiful, Chadron, $3,150; Keep Keith County Beautiful, Ogallala, $1,250; Keep Lincoln-Lancaster County Beautiful, Lincoln, $6,725; Keep North Platte-Lincoln County Beautiful, North Platte, $12,600; Keep Omaha Beautiful, Omaha, $13,450; Keep Schuyler Beautiful, Schuyler, $600; Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, Scottsbluff, $12,600; Steinauer Community Club, Steinauer, $1,050.

Public Education Grant Awards: Grand Island Area Clean Community System, Grand Island, $36,540; Groundwater Foundation, Lincoln, $1,740; Keep Alliance Beautiful, Alliance, $38,280; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Beatrice, $26,970; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Beatrice, $1,880; Keep Chadron Beautiful, Chadron, $31,320; Keep Columbus Beautiful, Columbus, $22,620; Keep Creighton Beautiful, Creighton, $4,575; Keep Fremont Beautiful, Fremont, $42,630; Keep Keith County Beautiful, Ogallala, $30,450; Keep Kimball Beautiful, Kimball, $8,700; Keep Lexington Beautiful, Lexington, $13,920; Keep Lincoln-Lancaster County Beautiful, Lincoln, $37,410; Keep Norfolk Beautiful - NCIC, Norfolk, $14,790; Keep North Platte-Lincoln County Beautiful, North Platte, $46,110; Keep Northeast Nebraska Beautiful, South Sioux City, $18,270; Keep Omaha Beautiful, Omaha, $52,200; Keep Schuyler Beautiful, Schuyler, $18,270; Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, Scottsbluff, $50,460; Keep Sidney Beautiful, Sidney, $22,620; Loup Basin RC & D Council, Ord, $27,840.

NOTE: The table below, "LRRP List by City", lists grantees by town, and contains a description of what the grants will be used for:

(See attached file: lrrp list by city.pdf)