More than $900,000 in grant funding was awarded by the state for cleaning up illegal open dumps.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet says the funds from the Illegal Open Dump Grant Program will be used “to clean up 85 illegal dumps in 17 counties and support healthy communities across the commonwealth.” LaRue and Meade counties are among the recipients in the latest round of funding.
According to the EEC, counties provide a 25 percent match which may be waived when the cleanup cost of a site exceeds $50,000. Funding for the program comes from the Kentucky Pride Fund, which is supported by a $1.75 environmental remediation fee on each ton of garbage dumped at municipal solid waste landfills in Kentucky. Nearly 3,000 dump sites have been removed since the program was created in 2002.
The EEC says Kentucky continues to make progress in improving communities and removing illegal dump sites through efforts such as the grant program and statewide cleanup and educational campaigns run by local, state, and federal agencies. Contact your local solid waste coordinator or visit the EEC website for more information on available programs.
