By Paul Ploumis

ALBANY (Scrap Monster): The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced second round of grants for municipal e-waste assistance. The applications for funding amounting to nearly $1.8 million will be open from January 2 through January 31, 2017. The funding is aimed to assist New York State municipalities with the unanticipated costs of collecting and recycling eligible electronic wastes.

According to DEC press release, the initial application period which closed in October this year had generated $1.2 million in grant requests, thereby making the remaining $1.8 million out of the total $3 million available for the second round of funding. The total amount of funding available for the State Fiscal Year 2016-17 from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 was $3 million. During the first application period, applications were accepted from October 3 to October 31, 2016. These applications utilized around $1.2 million. The balance $1.8 million would be made available to new applications received in January 2017, DEC stated.

All municipalities within New York State will be eligible to apply for the grant. The expenses incurred for collection and recycling of covered e-waste sent to an electronic waste recycler will be covered by the grant. The costs that are not paid directly from a municipality to an e-waste recycler are not eligible for this funding. In addition, costs for labor, processing, packaging, storage, advertising etc., will not be funded.

The applicants are required to fill the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) State Assistance Program grant application. Also, a signed e-waste supplement need to be submitted either in conjunction with the HHW application or separately. The applicant must provide documentation of actual incurred expenses for the time periods April 1, 2016 - June 30, 2016 and July 1, 2016 - September 30, 2016. Documentation includes vendor invoices, applicants purchase orders, and cancelled checks, if available.

Meantime, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos noted that this EPF funding will help to provide support to municipalities in addressing e-waste so as to keep them out of waterways and landfills. The grants reiterate the crucial role played by New York’s e-waste recycling laws to protect its environment. It also recognizes the challenges faced by local governments in addressing e-waste in communities.

According to New York State Sen. Tom O'Mara, chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, the recycling of electronic waste has become extremely burdensome and costly for local governments and property taxpayers. This new funding will help reduce this burden immediately. The short and long-term actions by the State would benefit local economies, taxpayers and environment, he added.

Steve Englebright, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation stated that New York state has collected record amounts of covered e-waste including computers, computer peripherals, televisions, small scale servers, and small electronic equipment as part of drop-off events across communities. The grant program will cover the financial costs to municipalities and help residents to recycle electronic waste in the most responsible manner, Englebright noted.