WILLIAMS ANNOUNCES DEP GRANTS FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY

HARRISBURG, Jan. 29, 2002 – State Sen. Constance H. Williams today announced that the state Department of Environmental Protection has awarded grants totaling more than $112,000 to Montgomery County and an Upper Merion company.

The county will receive a $97,724.64 grant under the Pennsylvania Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program, she said.

"The funds represent half the cost of developing and operating a household hazardous waste collection event," Williams (D-Montgomery/Delaware) said. "The goal is to keep toxins from entering groundwater through landfills or from overloading sewer treatment systems."

The second grant, in the amount of $15,000, goes to International Business Systems, 431 Yerkes Road, King of Prussia. The grant was awarded under the Pollution Prevention/Energy Efficiency (P2E2) Site Assessment Grant Program.

"International Business Systems will use the grant to pay 80 percent of the cost of a P2E2 site assessment," Williams said. "A team of DEP professionals will visit the site and identify potential opportunities for preventing pollution by reducing waste. The team will be specially chosen to meet International Business Systems’ particular needs.

"I’m proud to help direct the Commonwealth’s resources toward a cleaner and safer environment," Williams said.