USDA Rural Solid Waste Management Grant
The United States Department of Agricultre (USDA) Solid Waste Management Grant Program has funding available for rural communities with populations 10,000 or less. This program will provide financial and technical assistance to help communities reduce or eliminate pollution of water sources in rural areas, and improve planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas.
Funds must be used to :
- Evaluate current landfill conditions to determine threats to water resources.
- Provide technical assistance and/or training to enhance operator skills in the operation and maintenance of active landfills.
- Provide technical assistance and/or training to help communities reduce the solid waste stream.
- Provide technical assistance and/or training for operators of landfills that are closed or will be closed in the near future with the development and implementation of closure plans, future land use plans, safety and maintenance planning, and closure scheduling within permit requirements.
Additional points will be provided in the evaluation process to projects that serve areas with populations less than 5500 and less than 2,500 or that have median household incomes (MHIs) of less than 80 percent of the state non-metropolitan MHI. Additional points may also be provided to projects that:
- Target the smallest communities in which at least 20 percent of the population lives in poverty.
- Establish a household hazardous waste (HHW) collection program that emphasizes the collection of heavy metal sources, such as batteries and consumer electronics, in order to reduce contaminants in water resources.
- Establish composting programs and emphasize reducing food loss and waste in order to divert food waste from landfills, improve overall food security, and secure natural resources.
This is nationally competitive grant. Applications are due December 2018.
For more information and form download please visit: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/solid-waste-management-grants
