In conjunction with the U.S. EPA and numerous other organizations, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality is recognizing Air Quality Awareness Week, which runs from April 29 to May 3, 2019. For more information about Air Quality Awareness Week, visit EPA’s web page at https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/airaware/.

In recognition of the week, NDEQ is providing three articles below that focus on air quality topics, including “Wildfires and Smoke”, “Air Quality Index and Sensors”, and “Air Quality and Your Community”.

Once waters receded following the March 2019 floods, many Nebraskans found sand and sediment deposited on their fields and properties. Landowners can consider a number of potential options for sand removal, according to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

Can I push the sand back into the river?

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy commended a new agreement between U.S. EPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to speed the availability of funding used to restore vital water infrastructure in times of disaster.

NDEQ’s Nebraska Diesel Emission Mitigation Program has announced the opening of the 2019 School Bus Rebate Program, which will use funds from Nebraska’s portion of Volkswagen State Trust to provide rebates to replace diesel school buses. Schools across the state are being notified that applications are now being accepted and must be received by Aug. 2, 2019, to be considered for selection. NDEQ anticipates awarding 32 school bus rebates during this second year of the program.

Grant applications for the 2020 Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive, Scrap Tire, and Litter Reduction and Recycling programs can be submitted between July 3 and Aug. 14, 2019 (4 p.m. Central Daylight Time). Grant applications for the 2020 grant term dealing with the reuse or recycling of materials from flood-related cleanup work will be given priority consideration.

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts, along with Director Jim Macy, head of the newly created Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, celebrated the merger of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Nebraska Energy Office.

Following the passage of LB 302, the two agencies are merging into the new Department of Environment and Energy (DEE) effective July 1, 2019.

Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Director Jim Macy announced today that the state is awarding nearly $968,000 to support 63 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state. The department received over $1.4 million in eligible requests.

“The agency received many outstanding applications from across the state,” Macy said. “These funds will provide needed support to local efforts that effectively deal with scrap tires in Nebraska.”

The artwork of 13 Nebraska students will be featured in the 2020 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” environmental calendar. The statewide contest is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (DWEE) and focuses on the importance of waste reduction, recycling and litter cleanup.

Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Director Jim Macy announced the state is awarding over $2.6 million in rebates to schools across Nebraska to aid in the replacement of older diesel school buses. The funded projects include 60 public school districts, one private school, and one bus contractor serving a public school district. Each project will replace one older diesel bus with a new bus with much lower emissions. The department initially planned to fund 32 rebates, but because of the high demand, all 62 applicants will receive funding.

Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Director Jim Macy announced the department awarded $761,545 in grants to 20 recipients through the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund. For 2019, the department received requests for nearly $2.2 million in eligible grant applications.

These awards represent funding for six months. Beginning in 2020, Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants will be awarded on a calendar year, and funding will be for 12 months.