At the recommendation of the Sherburne County Waste Management Advisory Committee, the county board last week approved over $477,000 in SCORE funding grants to various organizations and government entities in the county for 2015.

 

SCORE, the Select Committee On Recycling and the Environment, provides state dollars for distribution to entities undertaking projects that support environmentally responsible waste management.

 

Of the $477,522 designated to different programs, $100,000 will go towards mobile household hazardous waste (HHW) events. County residents can deliver unwanted products free of charge at 12 different mobile collection events throughout the year.

 

Cities and townships will share $80,000 for their annual clean-up day events. Funding is based on their average recycling and advertising costs for the previous three years.

 

About $65,000 has been allocated to cover grinding and chipping costs at four public compost sites in the county. They include Becker ($14,435), Big Lake ($17,212), Elk River ($17,602) and Zimmerman ($14,615). County residents can use any of the sites for free. Non-residents pay an annual $50 user fee. Commercial users are charged $200 per year.

 

The organic recycling program within the Sherburne County Jail will receive $20,000.

 

The Environmental Educator, a newsletter mailed to single family households, will receive $20,000.

 

Tri-County Household Hazardous Waste Facility in Stearns County will receive $21,200 for its disposal costs and staffing at the facility in Waite Park. The facility accepts HHW from Sherburne County residents free of charge.

 

Funding of $12,900 will go to the Sherburne County 4-H Club for performances about the environment at all elementary schools. The performance will also be presented at the Sherburne County Fair.

 

Becker Boy Scout Troop 92 will get $12,163.49 and Zimmerman Girl Scout Troop 578 will get $6,600 to help fund their monthly paper/cardboard recycling events.

 

SCORE-related advertising is allocated $10,000.

 

Other funding grants include: Pharmaceutical waste collection program $4,700; battery recycling program $2,320; solid waste administrative costs $4,000 and leaf drop program $3,000.

 

The remaining $67,333.69 goes into a reserve fund for special projects or proposals, which must go before the solid waste advisory committee for a recommendation to the board.

 

The funds to pay for all the programs comes from two MPCA block payments of $138,949, an unused cash balance of $80,708.68 and a required 25% match ($69,474.50) from county surcharge money.