February 21, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb County has been awarded a grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to upgrade its used oil recycling stations.
The grant amount for DeKalb County, $88,750 is among $6,041, 629 in grants being awarded to support community recycling efforts in a statewide move to reduce landfill waste.
“The grant funds will pay for replacing and or installing new collection tanks for used oil, canopies, pads, oil pumps, oil filter crushers, and old tank removals at the garbage collection convenience centers where the existing oil collection stations are located at Midway, Keltonburg, Alexandria, Snow Hill, Allen’s Ferry Road, and McMinnville Highway. Grant funds will also be used to provide education and outreach materials,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling.
“TDEC is committed to increasing the diversion and beneficial use of materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or contaminating our waters,” said TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau. “These grants will help local communities meet the ever-growing challenge of finding ways to reuse materials that would otherwise be discarded to benefit our economy and protect our environment.”
Awarded projects fall into one of five categories: Recycling Hub and Spoke, Recycling Equipment, Recycling Rebate, Used Oil and Convenience Centers.
Recycling Equipment Grants were authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 and are supported by the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund, which is administered by TDEC. The fund receives revenues from a state surcharge on each ton of solid waste disposed in landfills and from a fee on new tires sold in the state. Used Oil Grants are authorized under the Used Oil Collection Act of 1993 and are funded by the Used Oil Collection Fund, which receives its revenues from a fee collected against every quart of oil sold.