Questions about the Household Hazardous Waste, HD39 grant application were accepted in writing only, no later than June 9, 2022. Similar or related questions were grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.
The question and answer period is now closed. All questions and answers are posted on this site.
General | Eligibility | Funding | Application
General
- 1. Can you clarify the difference between an individual applicant and a regional applicant?
An individual applicant is a single public entity (city, county, or city and county), applying on its own behalf. The jurisdiction may have partners or subcontractors, but it is the only applicant and is individually responsible for the grant. - A regional applicant is comprised of two or more public entities, with a lead jurisdiction designated to act on behalf of all participating jurisdictions. The lead jurisdiction will be the Grantee and will be responsible for the performance of the grant, recordkeeping and submitting all required documentation. If a jurisdiction is a participant in a regional application, it cannot submit an individual application.
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Joint Powers Authorities (JPAs) may submit a grant application as an individual applicant by submitting a copy of its JPA. However, because they represent multiple public entities, JPAs are afforded the same maximum grant award as a regional applicant.
- 2. What date should applicants anticipate receiving a Notice to Proceed letter upon award of a Cycle 39 grant?
CalRecycle staff anticipates awarding grants in September 2022. Notice to Proceed emails will be sent after the Grant Agreement is executed. Please note that these dates are tentative.
Eligibility
- 1. We need a box truck to help with our mobile collection program. Would that be considered as equipment for the proposed project budget? Also, we would like to apply our current logo/phone number to the side of the truck and our other mobile collection vehicles; would that activity be eligible under equipment for the project budget?
Yes, purchasing a box truck to pick up household hazardous waste items within your mobile collection program is an eligible expense under “Set-up and operation of temporary or mobile collection program for one-day or multi-day collection events.” It falls under the “Equipment” budget category.Yes, applying your collection program information to the side of your truck and other mobile collection vehicles would be eligible for funding under the “Equipment” budget category.
Please refer to the “Eligible Projects/Products” section in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.
- 2. Can we contract with a vendor to provide a battery recycling program for City staff?
No, any eligible funded activity must be provided to and accessible by the public at large, not just for a jurisdiction’s staff. - 3. Can we utilize funds to pay for advertisement promoting temporary HHW events?
Yes - 4. Can we utilize funds to purchase sharps containers and battery buckets to provide to residents during HHW events?
Funds cannot be used to purchase sharp containers. Funds can be used to purchase battery buckets. - 5. Can we contract with a vendor to provide at your door collection of HHW material?
Yes, funds can be used to contract with a vendor to provide at your door collection of HHW material. - 6. Can we utilize funds to cover overtime for staff working HHW events?
Yes, when necessary, funds can be used to cover overtime for staff working HHW events. - 7. We operate a Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility here in the city and already have a Reuse Program in place where residents come by and take items that are in excellent condition. We have a gym that shares a wall with the facility. We would like to expand our reuse program and make it more publicly accessible by dividing the gym room with a wall and use that new space for the Reuse Program. Would such an activity be eligible for grant funds?
Yes. - 8. Can we use the HD39 Grant for the following:
- Grant Coordinator: With the increased demands on the staff including the General Manager since the pandemic, we are in desperate need of a grant coordinator to focus on obtaining grants for hazardous waste collections and subsequent needs.
- Permanent facility waste. Can we utilize the grant for waste coming from both our mobile collections and at our permanent facility? With the increase of waste we are receiving since the pandemic began, we are unable to financially keep up with the disposal costs. We are also currently taking small quantity generator worth of treated wood waste until the variances are issued for our county. We currently have a grant to help slightly with our waste, but with an increase of $80,000 since 2020, we need more substantial assistance.
- Drums of mixed batteries: We have been trying to find a solution to years long unsorted batteries that was inherited from past years prior to my tenure that have been sitting on our facility premises. The rate to ship mixed batteries is steep and without inmate assistance (due to pandemic) there is no way to separate the batteries using our minimal staff and funding, we are unable to sort the batteries for shipment nor can we afford the cost to ship them mixed to be sorted at the destination facility. I have made every attempt to hire temps, utilize existing staff and even some shipping, but as we sit now, unfortunately we just can’t resolve this issue. There are currently 40 – 55 gallon drums needing sorting/shipped. We would love to utilize grant funding to get the batteries shipped and bring our facility into compliance.
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The grant allows for indirect costs to cover salaries associated with the grant, but these costs shall not exceed 10 percent of the grants funds reimbursed. All indirect costs must be associated with grant activities.
You may utilize grant funds for the operation of mobile collections events. Funds may be used for the promotion, handling, permitting and disposal costs of the following items: HHW, marine flares, propane gas cylinders (up to five pounds), solar panels, and treated wood waste. Ongoing costs associated with maintaining an HHW program/facility are not eligible costs.
No; this grant program will not fund the sorting and shipment of batteries collected from past years.
Please refer to the Eligible Costs and Ineligible Costs sections of the Procedures and Requirements for more information.
- 9. Would the purchase of a new forklift qualify for the HD39 program? The one we currently have is very old and is not safe because the hazardous waste technicians who work at the permanent HHW facility cannot see when reversing.
Yes, a forklift would be an eligible expense. - 10. Would a custom-made oil collection device be eligible for the HD39 program?
Yes, this would be an eligible expense. - 11. We are interested in applying for the HD39 grant and would want to hold mobile collection events here in the city for HHW. We want to make sure the funds are eligible for this. The city does not have an HHW facility, but we do have an agreement with a neighboring city that allows our residents to take HHW to their Special Waste Collection Center. We are paying for our residents to utilize this service and it’s costing us over $60K per year. The grant states, “except for those materials that are currently covered by another recycling/collection program;” are we still eligible to apply for an HD39 grant?
Yes, the city would be eligible to apply for a grant to hold mobile collection events.
Funding
No questions were submitted in this category.
Application
No questions were submitted in this category.
For more information contact: Used Oil & Household Hazardous Waste, UsedOilHHW@calrecycle.ca.gov