The Lawrence Scioto Solid Waste Management District (LSSWMD) will be receiving about $40,000 in two grants from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a couple of projects.
“Last fall we (LSSWMD) attended a meeting in October where the Ohio EPA announced the grants were available, through the agency,” Dan Palmer, director of LSSWMD said.
He said the funds from one of the grants would help fund a recycling program at STAR Community Justice Center in Franklin Furnace.
Recently STAR moved to the former Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility. By moving to the facility, STAR doubled in size and population. Before the move, officials with STAR approached LSSWMD about the idea of starting a recycling program on their campus to reduce waste.
Palmer was able secure $16,000 to help start the recycling program and STAR is going to put up 50 percent of the total grant, as matching funds. He said there would be a total of $24,000 to spend on this grant.
“We’re extremely happy to get this grant,” Palmer said. “We’re going to be able to implement recycling throughout the entire complex there.”
He said the recycling is the first part of a three-year plan for the facility.
“Secondly, we hope to next year apply again (for an EPA grant) for composting. When you have a complex that big with nearly 400 residents, eating three meals a day, seven days a week, you have a lot of food waste,” Palmer said. “Thirdly we hope to institute a garden. The garden would offset and replenish some of the cost for their kitchen. They have a lot of land down there that we can do a community garden on.”
The second grant LSSWMD received, valued at $20,000, will allow them to hold community clean up and tire amnesty events in Scioto and Lawrence counties.
“My goal with this is to provide a cleanup from the city of Ironton this summer and for the city of Portsmouth,” Palmer said.
He said specific dates and times of the community clean up and tire amnesty events will be announced later.
Palmer said with the tire amnesty event, trailers would be made available for people to bring tires too, for proper disposal.
He said there is a problem with people improperly disposing of tires throughout the district. If someone is caught illegally dumping tires, they would be subject to stiff penalties.
“We are affording people the opportunity to do the right thing (when disposing of tires). I hope they comply and take advantage of it, when we offer the program this summer,” Palmer said.
Under Ohio law, those wishing to transport more than 10 tires at a time are required to register with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to become a Scrap Tire Transporter.
“In Scioto and Lawrence counties there is no one registered (as a Scrap Tire Transporter). Most people are using is DTR in Ashland or Porter Tire Center in Olive Hill, Kentucky, which are registered transporters,” Palmer said.
The state of Ohio generates 12 million scrap tires each year. Each year the EPA removes and disposes of 100,000 illegally dumped scraped tires.
Palmer said the EPA has been providing grants to cleanup illegally dumped scraped tires since the 1980s and it’s still a problem today.
Those caught illegally dumping tires can be charged with a felony, a fine between $10,000 to $25,000 and two to four years in jail.
The Lawrence Scioto Solid Waste Management District can be reached at 740-532-1231 or (888) 565-7888.
