Wednesday, February 3:
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is offering its third round of grants to install pollution control devices (retrofits) on waste and recycling trucks owned by municipalities and private haulers.  Applications for the 2010 MassDEP Diesel Waste Collection Vehicle Retrofit Program are available on MassDEP's website at http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/diesel/wcv.html  The deadline to apply for the grants is Friday, March 12, 2010 at 5 p.m.
Municipalities and private haulers that collect residential waste and recycling at the curb on a regular basis are eligible for the grants.  Two vendors on state contract are responsible for installing the retrofit devices by September 30, 2010.  Payment will take place between the vendors and MassDEP; municipalities and private haulers will receive the retrofits at no cost to them.  The attached Fact Sheet discusses the benefits of retrofits.  The attached Program Guidance discusses the eligibility criteria and other information.
MassDEP will be holding four workshops on the grants in Lakeville, Wilmington, Gardner and North Adams during February.  Information on the workshops is available through the link above.
It would be helpful for MassDEP if you could encourage municipalities - and private haulers in your communities - to apply for the grants. In the first two rounds of the grant, we awarded grants to 19 municipal and private haulers whom operate 175 waste trucks collectively.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Susan Lyon at 617-556-1101.