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September 20, 2024
This e-newsletter delivers announcements from EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery on rulemakings, guidance documents, reports, research, upcoming webinars, and more.
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Join EPA and FEMA, in person or virtually, for a full-day summit on September 24. We'll explore resilient infrastructure challenges and innovative solutions through discussions on recently published guidance, nature-based solutions, energy efficiency, net-zero energy, and sustainable disaster debris management. Find out more and register now.
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EPA Requests Comments on Draft Memo about Environmental Justice by October 9
On September 9, 2024, EPA issued a draft memorandum for public comment that communicates our approach for addressing environmental justice considerations in the cleanup, storage, treatment, and disposal approval process for polychlorinated biphenyls. The purpose of this guidance is to assist EPA approval writers with how to consider EJ in the approval writing process, for example, when conducting public participation and crafting protective approval conditions. The guidance outlines a multi-step approach on how to conduct and interpret an EJ analysis. It also includes best practices and tools to engage communities in areas with potential EJ concerns and how to address these concerns through the PCB approval process on a case-by-case basis. Read the draft memorandum on our website.
EPA welcomes comments on the draft memorandum through October 9, 2024. Please submit your comments to ORCRPCBs@epa.gov.
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Join Us for October 30 Webinars on New International Requirements for Exports and Imports of
On October 30, 2024, EPA will host webinars about the new international requirements for exports and imports of electrical and electronic waste and scrap. The Basel Convention recently adopted amendments for international shipments of e-waste and scrap. Starting January 1, 2025, importing countries and any transit countries (i.e., countries that shipments may pass through) must give prior written consent to international shipments of e-waste and scrap.
These new requirements will significantly limit the market for U.S. e-waste and scrap. Basel Parties (i.e., countries that have ratified the Convention) will not be able to trade most e-waste and scrap with the U.S. without a separate agreement between countries that meets certain Basel criteria. The U.S. has one such agreement that addresses both exports and imports of hazardous and non-hazardous e-waste and scrap with member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
EPA will hold the first webinar from 1-2 pm Eastern time on October 30 for the regulated community to learn about how to comply with the new international requirements. Access the registration for this webinar.
EPA will host the second webinar from 3-4 pm ET on October 30 for state and local governments to learn about the changes and what they mean for U.S. exports and imports of e-waste and scrap. Access the registration for this webinar.
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On September 16, EPA announced three funding opportunities totaling $117 million for recycling grants under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Two of the notices are for Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants – one funding opportunity for Tribes and intertribal consortia and another for communities (such as cities, counties, and parishes) across the country. The third notice is for EPA’s Recycling Education and Outreach grant program and is focused on food waste prevention and composting.
All three opportunities are made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided the largest EPA investment in recycling in more than 30 years. The grant programs help implement EPA’s National Recycling Strategy to improve post-consumer materials management and infrastructure; support improvements to local post-consumer materials management and recycling programs; and assist local waste management authorities in making improvements to local waste management systems.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program
The recycling funding for Tribes and intertribal consortia will provide approximately $20 million in awards ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million each. The recycling funding for communities will provide approximately $58 million in awards ranging from $500,000 to $5 million each. Funded projects will improve post-consumer materials management and infrastructure, including collection, transport, systems, and processes related to post-use materials that can be recovered, reused, recycled, repaired, refurbished, or composted. Read more about these funding opportunities for Tribes and intertribal consortia and communities. Apply by December 20, 2024 and March 14, 2025 respectively.
Register for the two webinars on the “Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia” funding opportunity; EPA will hold these webinars on October 16 and 29, 2024.
Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program
The funding for the REO grant program will provide approximately $39 million for one award. EPA seeks coalition applications that include the following elements:
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A project to develop and implement a national consumer wasted food reduction campaign.
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A project that will increase the market for and sales of compost.
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A project that will increase education and outreach to households on composting.
Applicants must demonstrate they will subaward a portion of the total award to implement education and outreach activities locally, which will benefit local communities. Read more about eligible applicants and activities for this funding opportunity for recycling education and outreach. Apply by December 20, 2024.
EPA will post a recorded webinar about this funding opportunity in late September 2024.
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