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

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program (CFDA #66.920) provides $612,441 in funding to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Office of Planning and Development. The purpose of this award is to enhance the territory's efforts to establish recycling systems on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Key activities include purchasing and installing horizontal baling equipment, constructing a building to house the baler on Rota, acquiring heavy equipment such as an excavator and dump truck, and procuring a crosscut paper shredder and degausser. The grant also supports hiring two full-time heavy equipment operators. The anticipated outcomes include increasing the collection, recycling, composting, and proper management of municipal solid waste and construction/demolition debris, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating temporary and permanent jobs. No sub-awards are included in this assistance agreement.

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 the cnmi office of planning and development's efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. The cnmi office of planning and development will establish recycling systems on the islands of saipan, tinian, and rota by buying and installing baling equipment, including the cost of wire and a certified electrician for installation, supporting repairs and maintenance of existing waste reduction equipment, and expanding the agency's capacity to operate these machines and staff pilot recycling programs. This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $612,441. See terms and conditions.activities:the activities to be performed are: - baling equipment: the cnmi will buy, transport, and install horizontal baling equipment (including the cost of wire and a certified electrician for installation).- building: the cnmi will purchase and build a small building on rota to house the baler, related electrical controls, and recycled commodities.- heavy equipment: the cnmi will purchase a new excavator (tinian) and repair an existing excavator (rota) to assist in the recycling of scrap metal.- heavy dump truck. A dump truck will be purchased to tow the 8,200-pound woodchipper and process chipped materials for composting on saipan.- destruction and sanitization: a crosscut paper shredder and a degausser will be purchased for saipan to manage and recycle sensitive paper documents and electronic media.- two full-time jobs: two heavy equipment operators will also be hired (full-time equivalent).- this work also includes data tracking and activity reporting. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include semi-annual and final reports, EPA approved quality assurance project plan, requests for proposals/invitations to bid, position descriptions, the expected outcomes include:- tons of MSW/candd collected, recycled, composted, or managed via other management pathways in the territory.- ghgs reduced (in MTCO2E) from collection, recycling, composting, or management via other management pathways as a result of the grant.- number of temporary or permanent jobs created. The intended beneficiaries include the commonwealth of the northern mariana islands office of planning and development and the local governments of saipan, tinian and rota.