This agreement provides funding from the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA)

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) has been awarded a $450,938 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program (CFDA 66.920). The purpose of this grant is to support CDPHE's efforts to update Colorado's 2016 Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP). Specifically, CDPHE will use the funding to contract with a third-party to draft the ISWMP update, oversee the plan's development, and begin implementing the plan. CDPHE will assign 0.25 full-time equivalent staff to manage the ISWMP update project and participate in stakeholder outreach and engagement activities. The updated ISWMP is expected to be finalized by July 1, 2025 and will focus on enhancing Colorado's recycling and waste diversion efforts, improving disaster debris management, and supporting the renewable energy industry's waste disposal needs.

EPA's solid waste infrastructure for recycling (swifr) grants for states and territories will fund activities that support long-term planning and data collection needs to demonstrate progress toward the national recycling goal and food loss and waste reduction goal and advance a circular economy for materials, as well as support the state-led implementation of plans to advance post-consumer materials management. The purpose of this award is to enhance cdphe's efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. Cdphe will use the funds to contract with a 3RD party to draft an update to the 2016 integrated solid waste management plan, oversee the development of the integrated solid waste management plan, and begin the implementation of the plan. Cdphe will used FRAC14; of a full time employee to oversee the development of the updated iswmp while the 3RD party contractor develops the plan. Cdphe will attend stakeholder meetings and oversee the deliverable to ensure our outputs are being properly developed.activities:cdphe intends to use the funding for three purposes: contracting with a 3RD party to draft an update to the 2016 integrated solid waste management plan, overseeing the development of the integrated solid waste management plan, and beginning the implementation of the plan. Cdphe will used FRAC14; of a full time employee to oversee the development of the updated iswmp while the 3RD party contractor develops the plan. Cdphe will attend stakeholder meetings and oversee the deliverable to ensure our outputs are being properly developed. Once awarded funding, cdphe will draft the scope of work and request for proposals (RFP) for the development of the iswmp in the fall of 2023, with a goal of having a contract signed by FEB 28, 2024. Cdphe anticipates the development of the iswmp to take one year with the plan to be finalized by july 1, 2025. As a part of developing the plan, the contractor will need to reach out to various stakeholders for each section. Cdphe's iswmp project manager will participate in the discussions. Outreach is anticipated to occur between march 2024 and august 2024. For each section of the plan, the contractor will need to collect information from: #9679; renewable energy waste section: solar industry representatives, wind energy industry representatives, electric vehicle battery recyclers and manufacturers, and solid waste landfills, and other stakeholders to be identified. #9679; data collection section: solid waste landfills, local governments, recycling facilities, and composting facilities, and other stakeholders to be identified. #9679; disaster debris section: colorado department of homeland security, local governments affected by natural disasters, colorado department of public health and environment staff, and other stakeholders to be identified. #9679; identifying gaps in colorado's waste diversion efforts section: local governments, recycling facilities, solid waste landfills, recycling industry representatives, and other stakeholders to be identified. *in collecting information, the contractor will not collect identical information from 10 or more parties. Once outreach has been completed, and data collected, the contractor will then draft the updated iswmp. Cdphe anticipates a final document to be approved by cdphe by july 1, 2025. Once the updated iswmp is finalized, cdphe staff will present the findings to stakeholders in an effort to make progress towards increased recycling, more effectively managing disaster debris, better waste diversion data collection, and understanding the current and future disposal needs for the renewable energy industry. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:colorado intends to use the swifr grant funding to hire a 3RD party contractor to produce and update to the 2016 colorado integrated soli