Bredesen Announces Development District Grants to Help Manage and Reduce Waste in Tennessee

NASHVILLE – 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 $304,383 to support solid waste management activities in fiscal year 2010-11 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.

 

“The assistance provided to local communities and municipal leaders through these grants will continue the state’s solid waste reduction goals,” 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 -- $36,240                       
• First Tennessee Development District -- $31,568                       
• Greater Nashville Regional Council -- $49,622                                   
• Northwest Tennessee Development District -- $37,861
• South Central Tennessee Development District -- $34,000
• Southeast Tennessee Development District -- $45,744
• Southwest Tennessee Development District -- $27,740
• Upper Cumberland Development District -- $41,608  

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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