Harrisburg – October 12, 2018 – State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) said today that nearly $1 million total in grant funding to aid recycling efforts has been approved for several municipalities in his senatorial district.
The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved grant funding for Philadelphia ($350,000), Conshohocken ($212,363), Whitemarsh ($94,057) and Upper Dublin ($328,849). The funds will be used to support leaf collection, education and recycling collections.
“Our environmental challenges grow each day, so it is critical that actions are taken at all levels of government to protect our natural resources,” Hughes said. “Removing recyclables from the waste stream reduces the stress on landfills and protects the environment. Thank you to Gov. Tom Wolf, and Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell for funding green initiatives and pushing Pennsylvania forward on this front.”
Hughes said that support of municipal leaf recycling efforts not only reduces material in landfills, but also curtails air pollution since many citizens would likely burn the leaves if recycling was not available.
The grants for the communities in Hughes’ district were among the nearly 200 grants approved statewide. DEP officials noted that $37 million in recycling grants will be distributed.
“There is far too little attention paid to environmental protection at the federal level,” Hughes said. “State and local governments must be leaders in protecting natural resources.”
Municipalities are eligible for up to 90 percent of costs of a recycling program.
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