CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) – Chemung County has been selected to receive $1.7 million in the first-ever EPA funding to promote less waste.

In an announcement made last month by the EPA, Chemung County has been selected to receive the $1.7 million grant under the EPA’s new Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program to build resilient circular economies across the country.

The grant that Chemung County is receiving will allow the county to build a new composting facility at the site of a decommissioned wastewater treatment plant to expand its existing composting program. The new facility will divert waste from the nearby Chemung County landfill and create a more accessible place for residents to turn waste into products.

This funding is meant to help the county model a “circular economy” by building a program to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible. This is done by using items and products rather than discarding them as waste.

Additionally, New York State is also to receive over $531,000 to support its ongoing efforts to sustainably manage materials and generate less waste. The grants are a part of the EPA’s largest recycling investment in 30 years and will be awarded using funding from the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.