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

Chaffee County Facilities Corporation received a $977,930 Cooperative Agreement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants program (CFDA 66.920), awarded September 15, 2025, with completion by August 31, 2028. The award funds the design and construction of a regional recyclables transfer station and materials recovery facility (MRF) on the county landfill site outside Salida, Colorado. This infrastructure project will establish a county-operated transfer station and MRF capable of processing recyclable materials, implement a phased three-year expansion to increase organics processing capacity, incorporate circular-recycling and waste-to-energy technologies, and facilitate construction-related materials recapture and reuse. The facility will also provide self-drop options for residents to directly deposit recyclables.

The primary deliverables include construction of the transfer station/MRF and recyclable materials drop station infrastructure, followed by operational implementation and phased expansion activities designed to measurably increase local waste diversion rates, reduce material going to landfills, decrease operating expenses for waste haulers, and reduce pollution. No sub-awards are included in this assistance agreement. The project directly benefits Chaffee County residents and the environment by enhancing waste diversion infrastructure and demonstrating significant, measurable increases in recycling capacity and materials recovery.

EPA's solid waste infrastructure for recycling (swifr) grants for political subdivisions of states and territories will fund activities that will result in a significant decrease in the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) and/or an increase in the diversion of MSW from landfills and incineration, as well as fund innovative solutions and programs that provide or increase access to prevention, reuse, mechanical recycling, anaerobic digestion, and composting. The purpose of this award is to enhance chaffee county's efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. Specifically, chaffee county will design and construct a regional recyclables transfer station and materials recovery facility (MRF) on the landfill site outside of salida, colorado that will help measurably increase local waste diversion and markedly reduce pollution. Outcomes include increased recycling, decreased material going to landfill, reduced operating expenses for haulers, established self-drop options for residents. Beneficiaries include residents of chaffee county and the environment.activities:1) establish, increase, expand, or optimize collection and improve materials management infrastructure; 2) establish, increase, expand, or optimize capacity for materials management; 3) demonstrate a significant and measurable increase in the diversion, recycling rate, and quality of materials collected for municipal solid waste. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:outputs (deliverables): 1) construct a transfer station/MRF and recyclable materials drop station at county landfill site; implement 2-3 year phased expansion of the site to increase organics processing, include circular-recycling and waste-to-energy technologies, and construction-related materials recapture/reuse. 2) establish and operate county-run local transfer station/MRF; in year 1, landfill establishes its specialized staffing unit for waste diversion/recycling programs; county adapts and enacts tools from the EPA's national recycling toolkit for policies and best practices; identify and act on opportunities to reuse materials locally; partner with regional entrepreneurs and chaffee economic development corporation to colocate waste-to-energy processing and materials recovery technologies at the landfill site; support local organizations in scaling up composting and waste reuse programs. 3) increase local community-wide recycling rates to meet or exceed national recycling goals (target 50% by 2030); integrate comprehensive waste reduction/recycling education campaigns across the community; establish and maintain dynamic digital resources in support of recycling and composting initiatives and opportunities. Outcomes: 1) by 2025, chaffee county will have: tangible investments in sustainable and fully functional waste reduction facilities; quantifiable reduction (target 50%) in divertible wastes ending up in the landfill; measurably improved community engagement with and confidence in the local recycling system; quantifiable pollution reduction. 2) by 2025, the county will show: quantifiable pollution reduction (target 80%) associated with improvements of out-of-county materials transport and increased diversion of MSW; how landfill department is able grow county positions (target 4 FTE) that to support and sustain local recycling services; ability to sustain waste diversion programs through funding from enterprise revenues and colorado's producer responsibility program funding; partnerships with local waste haulers that support cost effective and efficient operations to ensure they do not abandon the rural market. 3) by 2025, chaffee county will: show evidence of normalized consumer and commercial behaviors to take personal and organizational actions to reduce landfilled wastes; measurably extended the lifespan of landfill to support community DEM