Dan Sullivan Questions Officials: ‘Is There A Way To Streamline EPA Funding?’

5 months ago

Last week, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) questioned officials on EPA funding and improving the recycling process during a Senate Environment Committee hearing.

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Transcript

00:00 I appreciate the witnesses testifying today.

00:03 As I mentioned in my remarks just a couple minutes ago here, Alaska, we're a resource-rich

00:09 but infrastructure-poor state in terms of just everything, roads, bridges, ports, harbors,

00:21 telecommunications.

00:22 But that infrastructure poverty also extends to recycling infrastructure, particularly

00:31 in our rural communities.

00:34 So these SWIFR grants are good news.

00:38 They're part of my and Senator Whitehouse's Save Our Seas 2.0 legislation and the bipartisan

00:46 infrastructure bill, as I already mentioned.

00:49 One thing that I've heard about, and I'd like Ms. Beiser and Mr. Marshall, maybe you

00:54 can take a crack at this, that the process in terms of funding has been very slow.

01:03 Are there ways to streamline the EPA funding process to get these grants out faster and

01:14 then maybe even simplify it?

01:16 One thing that you don't want to have happen, and you guys are very familiar with how to

01:22 write grants and everything, but for a lot of communities that's a big undertaking just

01:27 in and of itself.

01:29 You don't want the groups that are kind of the professionals at grant writing to always

01:34 get the grants.

01:35 So streamlining, getting the resources out more quickly, and then helping communities

01:41 that maybe aren't so experienced in this.

01:49 Those are broad questions, but I'd love your views on them.

01:52 Well, thank you, Senator Sullivan.

01:55 I know Alaska has some particular challenges.

01:57 I don't believe there's a material recovery facility in your state that can add to some

02:00 of the challenges.

02:01 So excited to see you all receiving funding.

02:03 I believe that Alaska's undertaking a solid waste management plan with this funding, which

02:08 is also a great step.

02:10 In terms of the EPA process, I know that this was a situation where they had to create a

02:14 new grant program completely from scratch.

02:19 Which is a good thing, but also a scary thing.

02:22 It can be challenging.

02:23 Depending on which way they go with it.

02:25 I'll tell you, we've worked closely with the office that has been building this program

02:32 and understand that they've been working, I think, as quickly as they can, but still

02:36 hear frustrations from folks who want to get funding out more quickly.

02:39 I will say for the next round of funding, we're hearing that that could be potentially

02:43 sometime in October.

02:44 So we're anticipating having those opportunities again.

02:47 I know that North Carolina looks to provide technical assistance to our communities to

02:51 help as they're applying in this grant program and in other programs under the IJA.

02:57 We will continue to do that.

02:58 The other area that we are receiving technical assistance and that EPAs are providing across

03:03 the country is for the CPRG grants.

03:07 That will be another potential area that we can take advantage of.

03:09 That's a bigger pot of funding.

03:12 Especially aiming towards any kind of climate emission reductions, including food waste.

03:16 I know that our state is planning to take advantage of that as well.

03:20 We do appreciate the technical assistance.

03:22 I will say that we try to have patience with EPAs since they were creating something brand

03:25 new.

03:26 It's always a challenge.

03:28 We'll continue to work with them if we see opportunities to streamline.

03:31 Good.

03:32 Mr. Marshall?

03:33 Yeah, it is a challenge to manage these types of granting programs.

03:38 We have about 150 active grants at the Recycling Partnership.

03:42 I myself have about 30 people working on them.

03:44 So it's just really critical to resource them because there's a lot of questions.

03:50 You have to pay invoices.

03:52 But the positive thing about this, we reimburse a lot.

03:56 So upon award, action starts happening.

04:00 So I know money might not be flowing yet, but momentum is growing in these places that

04:04 have been awarded.

04:05 So there might be a positive way to look at this also because they are excited that they

04:10 received the award.

04:12 They're looking for other money.

04:13 They've contacted us for additional money to match the EPA dollars.

04:16 So action is happening, even if money might not be flowing.

04:20 And then I really appreciate you bringing up that critical need to support these local

04:25 governments to help write the grants.

04:29 We supported a few communities that needed to write grants to apply for this money.

04:36 And I think that would be a really critical step, to really have a robust system to help

04:41 urban areas and the rural areas apply.

04:44 Because you're right, people that would apply to this are also the arborist or the sheriff

04:47 at their local government.

04:48 They don't have time to write grants.

04:50 Yeah, or they don't have the experience.

04:51 Let me end with just a follow-up question.

04:56 And I'm kind of running out of time here.

04:57 No, you're not.

04:59 You're not.

05:00 Ms. Fiferis, I understand you were a consultant in Alaska a number of years ago.

05:08 And so you know these challenges specifically with regard to rural communities, limited

05:15 financial resources for communities that are trying to benefit from these kind of programs.

05:22 And then maybe just a question for all of you.

05:25 I know, Mr. Marshall, you've also testified about the importance of public-private partnerships,

05:33 the feds, the state, the local.

05:36 Governments can't, you know, they can't do everything here.

05:40 So how do we enhance that element of addressing this broader challenge?

05:48 So maybe, Ms. Fiferis, if we can start with you.

05:56 That's a tough question.

05:57 To get the private industry.

06:01 But also your experience with the rural communities and in Alaska in particular.

06:07 So when I was working, I was working primarily in Juneau and we were working on a landfill

06:12 and they had a waste-to-energy facility that the local government was looking at taking

06:17 over.

06:18 And that resulted with up in Anchorage and Fairbanks.

06:22 Yeah, you can't bury waste very easily when the ground's frozen.

06:27 You don't have some place to take it.

06:28 You don't have roadways to haul your material out of your city.

06:32 You have to barge it.

06:34 We looked at barging recyclables down to California.

06:38 We looked at barging recyclables to Hawaii at one point.

06:42 It's really, really difficult.

06:44 And so you have to look at the community.

06:46 And I think this is a great area where waste prevention and using durables, getting rid

06:51 of single-use plastics, looking at what's right for the community that you're in.

06:58 And not something that fits for Seattle isn't necessarily going to fit for one of your small

07:03 rural communities on the coastline.

07:07 But there are ways to do it.

07:08 And then the materials that are coming into your area should be recyclable and easily

07:14 to capture.

07:15 And then you can backhaul them.

07:17 You can backbarge them.

07:19 In other words, you're bringing up supplies up to the area, and then you backhaul them

07:24 on that same barge or thing.

07:26 So there are ways to work it out, but it's not an easy solution.

07:29 Yeah, and it's expensive.

07:30 And it's expensive.

07:33 Producer responsibility.

07:34 You make it.

07:35 You manage it.

07:36 Yeah.

07:37 Mr. Marshall, on the public-private partnership issue, I know you've testified on that before.

07:43 Yes, absolutely.

07:44 And so I think sharing the stories of public-private partnerships is critical in this space.

07:50 That's one way to do it.

07:51 So the recycling partnership actually received a grant from EPA Region 4 to start 10 years

07:56 ago.

07:57 So that's really got our start.

07:58 And now we're fully funded by the private sector to deliver funds.

08:03 And I'd also highlight that those stories and connections are really happening at the

08:09 local level at the Conference of Mayors.

08:11 This has been a major subject for them every single year.

08:14 And so I just think what you're highlighting is critical to really lean in and learn how

08:19 to do it.

08:20 We're trying to get in front of as many local governments as possible so they understand

08:23 how to access these dollars.

08:24 Great.

08:25 Thank you.

08:26 Thanks to the witnesses.

08:27 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

08:28 Appreciate it.

08:29 Yeah, you bet.

08:30 I just want to acknowledge the good work that you and Sheldon and I have done.

Dan Sullivan Questions Officials: ‘Is There A Way To Streamline EPA Funding?’

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