The Jackson County Solid Waste Authority (JCoSWA) is being awarded a $97,500 grant from the WVDEP鈥檚 Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) program for recycling efforts in the County. The grant is for a two-year period and funds will be used to help offset costs for operating the County Recycle Program.
This is the fourth grant the JCoSWA has received this year including:
- a $3,000 litter control grant from WVDEP/REAP (for education/outreach and for the Countywide Cleanup being planned for spring 2017);
- a $20,000 electronic recycling grant; and
- $10,000 from the WV Solid Waste Management Board for personnel costs and equipment maintenance.
The JCoSWA would not be able to maintain the level of recycling opportunities in the County without the financial support from State grant programs.
Among other things, the 5 volunteer Board members of the JCoSWA oversees the County Recycle Program, conducts an annual tire cleanup, an annual Countywide trash cleanup, litter control efforts, maintenance of the closed landfill, and prepares grant applications to help support these activities. Board members include: Gary Singleton, Mike Reese, John Gorrell, Amanda Painter (Vice-Chair),
Rick Buckley (Chairman), and Frank Young (past Board member and current part-time employee of the JCoSWA). Young contributes significantly to the preparation of grant applications and management of the Recycle Program. Earlier this year he was recognized and presented an award by the Recycling Coalition of WV, as a 鈥淲est Virginia Recycle Champion鈥�.
The JCoSWA employs two full-time and four part-time employees that are the backbone of maintaining the County Recycle Program and include: Tim Barnett (Supervisor), Chuck Wotring, Tim McKown, Frank Young, Charlene Barnett, and Julia Pitts (JCoSWA Treasure/Secretary). These employees are all Jackson County residents and are seriously dedicated to maintaining one of the best operated Recycling Programs in the State. The County-wide Recycle Program has been operating and evolving since 1995.
Additionally, the JCoSWA Recycle Program could not exist without support from the Jackson County Commission, The City of Ripley (donated trucks and space for a collection site), City of Ravenswood (providing a collection site), local businessman Greg Simmons (donates his private property in Kenna for a drop off location), the Jackson County School Board and the many County businesses that set materials aside to be picked up and recycled rather than landfilled, and the dedicated County residents that transport materials to the various County drop off locations. For all these efforts, more than 2,300,000 pounds of materials are recycled annually from Jackson County and that amount continues to increase. The recycled materials are bailed at the JCoSWA Cottageville facility and then sold to mills for processing. All funds received from the sale of materials are used to maintain the County Recycle Program, along with grant funds received. (The JCoSWA receives a financial audit annually.)
To read the full story, visit .