For immediate release July 11, 2008
BREDESEN ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT GRANTS TO HELP MANAGE AND REDUCE WASTE IN TENNESSEE
Nashville, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced today that eight of the state’s development districts will receive grants totaling $409,618 to support solid waste management activities in fiscal year 2008-09 in communities across Tennessee.
The Tennessee General Assembly established the state’s development districts in 1966 to do general and comprehensive planning and conduct development and administration activities for local governments.
“I appreciate the valuable resource our development districts provide for local community and municipal leaders, especially in regard to the functions supported by these grants that help advance Tennessee’s environmental goals in the area of solid waste reduction and management,” said Bredesen.
Tennessee’s development districts assist the state’s solid waste planning regions in compiling information about landfills, source reduction, composting and recycling for the state’s Annual Progress Report. The report is a planning and reporting tool required by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991, which was the first comprehensive solid waste planning legislation in Tennessee history. The data is used to determine each region’s progress towards Tennessee’s goal to achieve 25 percent waste reduction in Class I landfill solid waste.
Local governments also receive technical assistance from development districts in designing, implementing, upgrading and maintaining solid waste programs, systems and facilities, including landfills, convenience centers and recycling centers.
“The support provided by our state’s development district offices have been instrumental in assisting solid waste regions with planning and implementing mandates of the Solid Waste Management Act,” said Fyke. “We’re pleased to be able to continue our support of this important work.”
Grant amounts are determined on an annual basis and awarded based on available funding and the scope of work undertaken by each district. The grants announced today include:
| East Tennessee Development District | $25,000 |
| First Tennessee Development District | $50,000 |
| Greater Nashville Regional Council | $53,766 |
| Northwest Tennessee Development District | $50,000 |
| Southeast Tennessee | $66,000 |
| South Central Tennessee | $50,000 |
| Southwest Tennessee | $50,000 |
| Upper Cumberland | $64,852 |
Development District Grants were authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 and are supported from the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund that is administered by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund receives its revenues from a tipping fee surcharge on each ton of solid waste disposed of in Class I landfills and from a pre-disposal fee on new tires sold in the state.
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For more information contact: Meg Lockhart |
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