Senator Berry announced today that he is co-sponsoring legislation to extend the Waste to Energy Grant program until 2005. To date, a total of $54 million has been granted to 138 Massachusetts communities, including Beverly and Peabody. The grant program, which expires this year, helps offset the costs of acquisition and installation of certain pollution control technology at waste to energy plants. Beverly has been awarded $563,890 through Saugus RESCO and Peabody has been awarded $1,595,168 through NESWEC as part of this grant program.

“This important grant program is intended to defray the rising costs of municipal waste disposal as a result of complying with the federal clean air regulations,” said Senator Berry, a member of the Joint Committee on Energy. “It is important that the financial needs of our communities are addressed while upholding these necessary environmental standards.”

The 1990 Federal Clean Air Act Amendment required waste to energy facilities to do extensive and costly retrofitting in order to comply with new standards. Local municipalities have had to bear the costs of these new regulations. For this reason, the grant program originated to help affected communities who bear these extraordinary costs for their waste disposal. The newly filed legislation would extend the grant program so that communities that have not received 100% of these additional costs have the opportunity to receive more aid.

The Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation runs the grant program through the Renewable Energy Trust Fund. Monies for the trust fund are collected through a surcharge on electricity bills and support a variety of renewable energy programs, including the Waste to Energy Grant program.

The legislation to extend the Waste to Energy Grant program was recently filed with the Senate Clerk’s office and has been co-sponsored by 40 senators and representatives.