SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Department of Public Works will be applying to the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) grant that is offered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
Board of Health Director Tom FitzGerald is working on a draft to send to Mass DEP for the SMRP grant application. (WNG File Photo)
The grant is a part of the Recycling Dividends Program (RDP), which provides the grant money to specific municipalities who have programs and policies that improve waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
According to Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Randy Brown, one of the policies that he is attempting to change is to make it a regulation for solid waste handlers to have a permit when operating in the town of Southwick.
Southwick Board of Health Director Tom FitzGerald mentioned that the regulation would be completely new for Southwick.
“There’s been no permitting up until now,” said FitzGerald.
FitzGerald also said that the solid waste handler permit would be about $100.
In the SMRP grant process, there is a point system that the applicant has to follow in order for funding to be calculated. Points are added to the application depending if the municipality fulfills one of the categories that has points. The DPW will need at least a minimum of six points in order to be eligible for the RDP payments.
FitzGerald is working with Brown on this effort as he is currently establishing a draft for the application to send out MassDEP’s SMRP.
Brown acknowledged that there is a great opportunity to not only regulate a permit for solid waste handlers, but also receive grant money for that program.
“If there’s an added benefit of getting some grant money out of it, now is the time to do it,” said Brown.
For more information on the SMRP, go to the Energy & Environmental Affairs page on Mass DEP
