HARRISBURG - Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty today announced more than $3.7 million in recycling performance grants to 210 Pennsylvania communities for their recycling efforts in 2003.

"These grants reward Pennsylvania communities for their roles in making the Commonwealth a national leader in recycling," Secretary McGinty said. "Recycling is an environmental and economic success story, conserving our resources and creating jobs in Pennsylvania."

The Commonwealth's recycling industry leads the nation in employment, payroll and sales numbers. More than 3,247 recycling and reuse businesses and organizations generate more than $18.4 billion in gross annual sales and provide jobs for more than 81,322 employees at an annual payroll of approximately $2.9 billion. These businesses add more than $305 million in taxes to the Commonwealth treasury.

In 2003, the latest date for which data is available, 4.45 million tons of waste was recovered in Pennsylvania. The economic value of remaking that waste into new and useful products exceeded $68 million. In addition, Pennsylvania communities avoided $240 million in disposal costs based on the estimated statewide average disposal cost of $54 per ton.

Recycling is more than just an engine of economic development. Pennsylvania's recycling effort reduces air and water pollution, saves energy and reduces the need for virgin materials in manufacturing. For example, by recycling 577,601 tons of mixed paper, newsprint, phone books and office paper in 2003, Pennsylvania reduced the need to cut more than 7.6 million trees. On average, a live tree removes 60 pounds per year of air pollution from the environment.

The Commonwealth's recycling performance grants are based on how much municipalities recycle, providing an incentive to continue improvement.

"I encourage local officials to use this money to support even stronger municipal recycling programs, which play an essential role in environmental protection and economic growth in communities across the state," Secretary McGinty said.

The grants are financed by the Recycling Fund, which is supported by a $2 per ton fee on all materials disposed of at municipal waste landfills and resource recovery facilities in Pennsylvania.

The Governor's Growing Greener II initiative will ensure the continued success of recycling in Pennsylvania. The General Assembly last month agreed with the Governor's efforts to enhance the state's economic and environmental well being by placing a $625 million bond question before voters. The bond question will appear on the May 17 primary ballot.

These 210 grants and the 396 grants announced previously represent the initial groups approved from nearly 800 applications that DEP received by the Sept. 30, 2004, filing deadline. Additional awards will be made as the remaining applications are processed.

Applications for the 2004 round of recycling performance grants will soon be available. The deadline for applying for the grants will be Sept. 30.

For more information on recycling grants, visit DEP's Web site at www.dep.state.pa.us, Keyword: "DEP Recycling."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a list of the $3.7 million awarded in recycling performance grants.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY

Aleppo Township -- $506

Avalon Borough -- $685

Bellevue Borough -- $2,349

Crafton Borough -- $886

Elizabeth Township -- $1,634

Forest Hills Borough -- $7,105

Franklin Park Borough -- $16,059

Indiana Township -- $ 4,566

Leet Township - $851

Marshall Township -- $28,804

Moon Township -- $15,846

Mt. Lebanon Municipality -- $18,993

North Braddock Borough -- $319

Tarentum Borough -- $126

Twin Rivers Council of Governments -- $2,584

West Mifflin Borough -- $29,809

White Oak Borough -- $4,725

ARMSTRONG COUNTY

Kittanning Borough -- $4,162

BEAVER COUNTY

Chippewa Township -- $19,443

Monaca Borough -- $4,092

Raccoon Township -- $298

Vanport Township -- $854

BERKS COUNTY

Amity Township -- $25,798

Kenhorst Borough -- $16,533

Leesport Borough -- $1,016

Lenhartsville Borough -- $36

Shillington Borough -- $8,556

Spring Township -- $115,574

St. Lawrence Borough -- $3,163

BRADFORD TOWNSHIP

Athens Township -- $ 12,960

Canton Borough -- $6,855

Troy Borough -- $629

BUCKS COUNTY

Bristol Township -- $48,339

Buckingham Township -- $37,030

Durham Township -- $1,169

Penndel Borough -- $4,095

Plumstead Township -- $25,003

Warminster Township -- $25,295

Warrington Township -- $40,265

West Rockhill Township -- $7,748

BUTLER COUNTY

Seven Fields Borough -- $1,970

CAMBRIA COUNTY

Cresson Borough -- $126

Lilly Borough -- $341

Richland Township -- $43,597

Westmont Borough -- $692

CARBON COUNTY

Bowmanstown Borough -- $553

Lansford Borough -- $1,786

Mahoning Township -- $10,397

CHESTER COUNTY

Caln Township -- $17,303

Coatesville -- $15,727

East Whiteland Township -- $ 45,146

Easttown Township -- $41,776

Elverson Borough -- $1,036

Kennett Square Borough -- $3,015

Kennett Township -- $6,492

New London Township -- $3,434

North Coventry Township -- $5,473

Oxford Borough -- $4,490

Pocopson Township -- $4,048

Spring City Borough -- $2,819

Willistown Township -- $20,833

COLUMBIA COUNTY

Scott Township -- $679

CRAWFORD COUNTY

Titusville City -- $4,048

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Mount Holly Springs -- $3,396

North Middleton Township -- $10,758

Upper Allen Township -- $28,789

DELAWARE COUNTY

Parkside Borough -- $541

Prospect Park Borough -- $2,007

Springfield Township -- $170,653

Yeadon Borough -- $7,102

ERIE COUNTY

Girard Township -- $3,711

Union City Borough -- $2,733

Venango Township -- $281

FAYETTE COUNTY

Bullskin Township -- $523

Connellsville City -- $294

Point Marion Borough -- $1,929

Smithfield Borough -- $272

South Connellsville Borough --$527

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Greencastle Borough -- $2,403

Greene Township -- $4,313

Guilford Township -- $2,711

Hamilton Township -- $1,500

Washington Township -- $33,712

Waynesboro Borough -- $8,234

GREENE COUNTY

Greene County -- $4,333

INDIANA COUNTY

Indiana Borough --$20,189

Indiana County Solid Waste Authority -- $7,886

White Township -- $51,566

JEFFERSON COUNTY

Jefferson County Solid Waste Authority -- $22,918

Punxsutawney Borough -- $4,113

LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Blakely Borough -- $27,927

Clarks Summit Borough -- $10,531

Dalton Borough -- $1,215

Dunmore Borough -- $48,106

Jefferson Township -- $1,281

Moscow Borough -- $4,740

Newton Township -- $2,253

Scott Township -- $10,205

South Abington Township -- $30,494

Taylor Borough -- $37,576

Throop Borough -- $22,678

LANCASTER COUNTY

Adamstown Borough -- $1,326

Akron Borough -- $2,414

Caernarvon Township -- $2,893

Christiana Borough -- $926

Columbia Borough -- $30,043

Denver Borough -- $3,240

Earl Township -- $2,067

East Cocalico Township -- $119,135

East Donegal Township -- $20,091

East Hempfield Township -- $91,945

East Lampeter Township -- $190,660

East Petersburg Borough -- $12,129

Elizabeth Township -- $879

Elizabeth Borough -- $50,813

Ephrata Borough -- $26,409

Ephrata Township -- $37,104

Lancaster City -- $95,709

Lancaster County Solid Waste Municipal Authority -- $14,460

Lancaster Township -- $24,142

Lititz Borough -- $55,548

Manheim Borough -- $8,030

Manheim Township -- $126,679

Manor Township -- $23,845

Marietta Borough -- $1,844

Millersville Borough -- $11,293

Mount Joy Borough -- $15,465

Mount Joy Township -- $7,975

Mountville Borough -- $5,114

New Holland Borough -- $10,657

Paradise Township -- $3,810

Penn Township -- $7,863

Pequea Township -- $1,908

Terre Hill Borough -- $921

Upper Leacock Township -- $23,661

Warwick Township -- $42,262

West Donegal Township -- $12,339

West Earl Township -- $3,537

West Hempfield Township -- $52,767

West Lampeter Township -- $30,234

LAWRENCE COUNTY

Ellwood City Borough -- $11,386

New Castle City -- $7,802

Wilmington Township -- $183

LEBANON COUNTY

Palmyra Borough -- $11,893

South Londonderry Township -- $3,705

Union Township -- $75,396

LEHIGH COUNTY

Alburtis Borough -- $1,595

Coopersburg Borough -- $2,089

Fountain Hill Borough -- $15,461

Hanover Township -- $25,811

South Whitehall Township -- $151,217

Washington Township -- $8,248

Whitehall Township -- $161,424

LUZERNE COUNTY

Ashley Borough -- $3,318

Exeter Borough -- $56,402

Forty Fort Borough -- $5,678

Jenkins Township -- $17,423

Kingston Municipality -- $14,538

MONROE COUNTY

East Stroudsburg Borough -- $129,638

Eldred Township -- $1,008

Middle Smithfield Township -- $4,746

Polk Township -- $2,899

Smithfield Township -- $11,448

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Cheltenham Township -- $70,755

Douglass Township -- $69,935

Limerick Township -- $24,336

Lower Pottsgrove Township -- $44,893

Narberth Borough -- $11,901

Perkiomen Township -- $ 8,598

Rockledge Borough -- $6,844

Whitemarsh Township -- $ 53,884

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

Hellertown Borough -- $12,136

Nazareth Borough -- $11,694

Portland Borough -- $466

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

Northumberland Borough -- $1,300

Shamokin City -- $2,237

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

Coaldale Borough -- $1,129

Mahanoy Borough -- $1,127

Shenandoah Borough -- $2,159

SNYDER COUNTY

Freeburg Borough -- $124

Penn Township -- $160

Spring Township -- $74

Union Township -- $87

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY

Brooklyn Township -- $34

Clifford Township -- $163

Forest City Borough -- $980

Lenox Township -- $84

Liberty Township -- $99

Rush Township -- $30

Silver Lake Township -- $1,988

Susquehanna County -- $13,438

TIOGA COUNTY

Mansfield Borough -- $2,783

WASHINGTON COUNTY

Union Township -- $267

WESTMORELAND COUNTY

Arnold City -- $4,781

Derry Borough -- $938

Hempfield Township -- $13,455

Ligonier Township -- $1,934

Lower Burrell City -- $11,821

New Kensington City -- $10,347

New Stanton Borough -- $2,753

New Belle Vernon Borough -- $2,846

Scottdale Borough -- $492

WYOMING COUNTY

Wyoming County -- $3,647

YORK COUNTY

Carroll Township -- $10,266

Dover Township -- $22,539

Jefferson Borough -- $443

Manchester Borough -- $1,265

Mt. Wolf Borough -- $963

North Codorus Township -- $3,266

York Township -- $27,403

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