No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a pilot grant program, known as the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Program, to be administered by the EPA Administrator not later than 18 months after enactment of the Act. The program awards competitive grants to eligible entities—States, units of local government, Indian Tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304), and public-private partnerships—to improve recycling accessibility, particularly in underserved communities (i.e., those lacking full recycling services due to distance, transportation costs, or insufficient processing capacity), using a hub-and-spoke model that emphasizes transfer stations, materials recovery facilities, and curbside collection. In selecting grantees, the Administrator must consider (1) the presence of curbside recycling, (2) improvements to one or more underserved communities, and (3) the financial health of any private partner; and must prioritize projects in communities lacking a materials recovery facility within a 75-mile radius. Grant funds may be used to (1) increase the number of transfer stations, (2) expand curbside recycling collection programs, and (3) leverage public-private partnerships to reduce collection and transportation costs in underserved communities but may not be used for recycling education. Grants range from a minimum of $500,000 to a maximum of $15 million, with at least 70% of funds set aside annually for projects in one or more underserved communities; the federal share is up to 90% of project costs (waivable for financial hardship). Not later than two years after the first grant award, the Administrator must submit a report (text cuts off).