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Ohio partnership receives $299,581 grant from EPA for community waste reduction project

Release Date: 03/20/2007
Contact Information: Karen Thompson, (312) 353-8547, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 07-OPA40

CHICAGO (March 20, 2007) - U.S. EPA has awarded Ohio State University, Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and other Columbus-area partners a $299,581 grant for a waste reduction project.

Dubbed the Partnership for Industrial Ecology in Central Ohio, the group is working to transform industrial and municipal waste into valuable commodities such as metals, plastics and alternative fuels. The goal is a 15 percent reduction in waste disposal to landfills by 2012, or avoiding 150,000 tons of waste per year. EPA's funding will support development of a software tool kit that will facilitate better decision-making by considering regional economic, environmental and social impacts.

This project has the potential to be a model for public-private partnerships in other U.S. communities for years to come. Results will be shared through Web sites, educational materials and public meetings.

EPA's grant program, called the Collaborative Science and Technology Network for Sustainability, focuses on long-term sustainability of resources - air, water, land, energy, materials and ecology - through new approaches and community cooperation. More information is online at http://epa.gov/ncer/cns.