For immediate release
For more information, contact
Jill Hollowell
or
Tammy Snodgrass
Workshop is July 24; grant deadline on Aug. 16
ST. JAMES—The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) is accepting grant applications for the 2025 grant round, beginning July 1. Grant applications are due by noon on Friday, Aug. 16.
A grant application workshop is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on July 24 at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) office, 4 Industrial Drive, St. James MO. This workshop will also be offered in-person and via Zoom, and those interested in participating must register with Jill Hollowell, MRPC environmental specialist by calling 573-265-2993 or by emailing jhollowell@meramecregion.org.
This workshop ensures that potential grantees know application requirements and understand the benefits and obligations, should they receive reimbursement funding for their projects. Projects must be located in or benefit the Ozark Rivers district, which includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.
Grants are available to city and county governments, businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations, citizens and other interested parties to reduce the amount of waste being landfilled through waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting. The district’s list of targeted materials is based on the state-targeted materials list. In addition, the Ozark Rivers SWMD has identified multiple priority project areas to address specific needs in the district — however all projects will be considered. Potential projects can focus on district priorities for education, end-market development for recycled materials, waste reduction and reuse, hard to recycle items such as carpet and mattresses, food waste reduction or composting, construction and demolition waste, and special events/business/multi-family dwelling recycling. Some $125,000 is available for grants this round.
A more detailed list of priorities and targeted materials is included in the grant application and available at www.ozarkrivers.org/grant-projects/how-to-apply/.
In its 2024 grant round, Ozark Rivers awarded $160,244.26 to fund or partially fund nine projects throughout the seven-county district. These projects included food waste reduction education, professional development for educators promoting food waste reduction and composting, assistance to local recycling programs and collection centers along with district-wide programs for outreach and education, illegal dump cleanups, continued support of the household hazardous waste collection sites in Rolla and St. Robert and special collections for electronics, appliances, and tires.
The grant dollars awarded by Ozark Rivers comes through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and represents a portion of the landfill tipping fees collected state-wide.
The grant application is available online at https://ozarkrivers.org/grant-projects/how-to-apply/. For more information, contact Hollowell.
The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by Missouri Department of Natural Resources, involves education and public awareness to encourage improved waste management in member counties and cities. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects.
For more information about Ozark Rivers SWMD or waste reduction and recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers district, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ORSWMD or visit our website at www.ozarkrivers.org. Additional questions can be answered by contacting Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Mary Heywood, representing the unemployed, serves as chairman of the board. A professional staff of 33 offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.
To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.
-30-
