New Pennsylvania program seeks to prevent illegal dumps

Pennsylvania’s acting environmental protection secretary John Hanger is reminding communities and nonprofits that there is still time to apply for grants that provide the tools and resources they need to restore illegal dump sites and prevent future dumping.

The deadline to apply for Pennsylvania’s new Illegal Dump Cleanup grants is December 19. Grant applications will be made available at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Illegal Dumping.

Pennsylvania is investing $500,000 in the Illegal Dump Cleanup Grant program for communities and nonprofit groups. The program will focus on cleaning up illegal dumps, restoring sites, beautification projects, and surveillance efforts at existing and remediated dump sites. The grants will also support enforcement of littering and illegal dumping ordinances, as well as public awareness and education outreach to inform local citizens about illegal dumping, littering and clean up activities.

Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded with a match of at least 50 percent of the grant amount required by the grantee.

The grants are available on a competitive basis to any existing local government or incorporated nonprofit organization located in Pennsylvania. An applicant cannot, in any way, be responsible for creating any illegal dump located in Pennsylvania.