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 the state’s nine development districts will receive grants totaling $434,877 to support solid waste management activities in FY2007-08 in communities across Tennessee.
The Tennessee General Assembly established the state’s nine development districts in 1966 to do general and comprehensive planning and conduct development and administration activities for local governments.
“I appreciate the role our development districts play in supporting local communities and municipalities as they work to manage and reduce solid waste,” said Bredesen. “I’m pleased these resources are available to help support functions that advance Tennessee’s environmental goals.”
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.
“Our development district offices are instrumental in assisting solid waste regions with planning and implementing mandates of the Solid Waste Management Act,“ said Fyke. “That’s why we’re pleased to be able to fund projects for all nine districts in the upcoming fiscal year and to increase grants for those that have agreed to increase their scope of work.”
Grant amounts are determined on an annual basis and awarded depending on available funding and the scope of work proposed by each district. The grants announced today include:
- East Tennessee Development District $50,000
- First Tennessee Development District $50,000
- Greater Nashville Regional Council $53,400
- Memphis Area Association of Governments $16,277
- Northwest Tennessee Development District $50,000
- Southeast Tennessee $65,200
- South Central Tennessee $50,000
- Southwest Tennessee $50,000
- Upper Cumberland $50,000
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.
A map of Tennessee’s Development Districts may be viewed online at: http://www.state.tn.us/tacir/PDF_FILES/Infrastructure/Infra03_DDmap.pdf
| For more information contact: Dana Coleman
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