Compost Infrastructure Grants Announced

Funding Will Reduce Organic Waste Stream, Generate Additional Organic Products

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Grants totaling nearly
$400,000 will allow businesses, colleges and farms in six Pennsylvania
counties to reduce their organic waste and put what is left to a better use,
Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger announced today.

"This is an example of making something out of nothing," said Hanger. "Every
year, we simply throw away material that can be reused. Organic material such
as food scraps, grass clippings and yard waste can be especially useful.
Composting is a basic form of recycling that turns organic materials into a
variety of soil products that can be used by farmers and homeowners."

Roughly one-third of the municipal waste generated in Pennsylvania is organic
material. Hanger said that by composting organic waste instead of burying it
in landfills, Pennsylvania can free up additional waste disposal space, save
money by cutting down on municipal disposal fees, and generate additional
business opportunities by creating various nutrient-rich soil additives.
Finished compost adds nutrients to soil and increases moisture retention.

The Composting Infrastructure Development Grants reimburse for-profit
businesses and nonprofit organizations up to $100,000 for the purchase of
machinery or equipment costs associated with increasing the use of organic
materials processed at composting facilities in the commonwealth.

There are more than 1,600 municipal recycling programs serving nearly 10
million Pennsylvania residents. The state's 3,803 recycling and reuse
businesses and organizations annually divert more than five million tons of
waste from landfill disposal. Their 52,000 jobs have an annual payroll of $2.2
billion and generate more than $20 billion in gross annual sales.

"The average homeowner can help reduce our reusable organic waste stream by
creating compost that they can use in their own backyards," said Hanger.
"These grant recipients will be large-scale examples of how composting
presents opportunities to turn environmental challenges into beneficial
products, while at the same time creating new jobs and stimulating economic
growth."

For more information visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: "Compost."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a list of the recipients of the Composting
Infrastructure Development Grants:

Sandra Guzikowski Farm, Bucks County -- $78,068 to purchase a windrow turner,
tractor, compost cover winder and compost covers that will enable the farm to
accept 5,000 cubic yards of leaf and yard waste and 500 tons of food waste
from local communities. The resulting compost product will be used to grow
vegetable crops which will be sold directly to local consumers.

Allegheny College, Crawford County -- $79,545 to purchase a shredder mill,
screening plant, conveyor, skid-steer loader and leaf collection system. This
equipment will enable the 77 acre campus to expand and process an additional
1,300 cubic yards of food and yard waste generated by the college and from
local communities. In addition, the use of this equipment will improve the
quality of the finished compost. The compost product generated will be used on
campus property.

Worms.com, Delaware County -- $16,088 for the purchase of two solar powered
rotary composers. This is a small minority-owned vermicomposting business that
will partner with Swarthmore College to compost at least 24 cubic yards of
campus-generated food waste. The college currently disposes its food waste.
Yard waste will be used for the carbon source and mixed with food wastes using
the solar powered rotary composters. The project will teach students and
provide outreach to local gardeners and residents to compost. The finished
compost product will be used for local community gardens.

Terra-Gro, Inc., Lancaster County --$100,000 for the purchase of a power
screen trammel. The company will partner with Oregon Dairy Farm's existing
on-farm composting facility and double the current capacity to 32,000 cubic
yards annually. The additional organic materials will come from local grocery
stores, restaurants, schools, local townships and farming operations. The
compost product generated will be sold and used for soil and athletic field
amendments, gardening and turf products throughout Pennsylvania and
neighboring states. This project will create five to 10 permanent jobs.

Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., Monroe County -- $82,400 to purchase an organic
composter, conveyors and vertical mixer to compost 728 cubic yards of food and
yard waste. This for-profit company is a developer, manufacturer and supplier
of vaccines for the protection of human health and gainfully employs a staff
of 2,100. Currently, the company pays to dispose of all its cafeteria food
wastes. The equipment will also enable the company to partner with the Pocono
Mountain School District and the Monroe County Conservation District and
accept an additional 312 cubic yards of leaf and yard waste from the local
community. The compost product will be used on the company's 510-acre
property.

Lafayette College, Northampton County -- $41,082 to purchase two food
pulper/water extractors to dewater campus cafeteria food waste, and two Earth
Tub systems and monitoring equipment to expand and accept community yard waste
sources. An additional 116 cubic yards of food and yard waste will be
composted annually. The compost product will used by the local community and
on campus grounds.

CONTACT: John Repetz
(717) 787-1323

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

John Repetz of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,
+1-717-787-1323