The York County Solid Waste Authority announced this week it will fund up to $250,000 in research and development work to identify viable non-traditional commercial uses for municipal waste combustion ash from the York County Resource Recovery Center (YCRRC).

The Authority is inviting private organizations, corporations, business firms, individual entrepreneurs, academic researchers, other research institutions and organizations, federal or state agencies, national laboratories, or partnerships or joint ventures composed of the foregoing to submit research proposals under this program.

Proposals must show a connection between the proposed research and development or marketing of one or more commercial products that are composed, in some part, of one or more of the ash streams generated by the YCRRC.

The Authority will support high-quality research, development, marketability and/or market development proposals aimed at advancing opportunities for beneficial use of significant quantities of an ash product.

Grant applications will be accepted now through May 2.

The Authority anticipates that the funding agreement(s) will be completed and the research process initiated by the third quarter of 2005.

Interested grant applicants can obtain a complete Research Proposal Solicitation Package. For more information contact David Vollero, Engineering Division Manager, by phone at 717-845-1066, or by e-mail at: d.vollero@ycswa.com .

The York County Solid Waste Authority coordinates the environmentally responsible, efficient and economic management of all municipal solid waste generated in York County. The Authority utilizes an integrated approach to the management of waste that emphasizes waste reduction, reuse, recycling and resource recovery. The Authority is the owner of the York County Resource Recovery Center in Manchester Township; and owns and operates a Yard Waste Transfer Facility, a Recyclable Materials Drop-off Center, and an Education Center.

Currently, ash from the YCRRC is recycled into an aggregate material marketed commercially as “AggRite”. AggRite is permitted by the state for use in a variety of construction applications. This is the first time the Authority has offered a grant for ash reuse research proposals.

2/4/2005