TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation has secured a $1.4 million Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to make improvements to its recycling and waste-management systems at the Cherokee Nation Sanitary Landfill in Stilwell.
The Cherokee Nation will use the grant to develop and implement infrastructure and capacity to divert brush, miscellaneous vegetation and wood wastes from the landfill and subsequently recycle the material for beneficial uses.
These projects are designed to reduce local pollution hazards such as landfill contamination, landfill greenhouse gas emissions, and soil erosion into surface water.
“We recognize how vital it is to make recycling investments into our Cherokee communities. With the assistance from the EPA via the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant, we have the opportunity to make important improvements to our recycling infrastructure and pollution prevention at the Cherokee Nation Sanitary Landfill,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
The Cherokee Nation was one of five tribes in Oklahoma to receive a Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant from the EPA in conjunction with America Recycles Day on Nov. 30.
The EPA selected a total of 59 grantees to receive a total of over $60 million through the program, while 25 other grantees were selected to receive over $33 million in Recycling Education and Outreach grants.
The EPA grants are part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America Plan, which aims to bolster the EPA’s National Recycling Strategy.