North Carolina awarded $61M to strengthen disaster cleanup programs

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has received $61,006,486 in supplemental federal funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support hazardous waste, recycling and solid waste management recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which caused widespread damage across the state last September.

This funding, called the North Carolina Hurricane Helene Supplemental Appropriation for Hazardous Waste and Solid Waste Management Financial Assistance Grants, will provide support across several divisions, including programs within DEQ and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS).

“Recovering from Hurricane Helene is a long-term process,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein says. “It’s critical we not only clean up the pollution but also build our infrastructure back stronger. This funding will help communities weather future disasters.” 

RELATED: North Carolina county removes 1M cubic yards of debris following Hurricane Helene

This funding is in addition to approximately $686 million awarded to DEQ by EPA in recent weeks for water and wastewater systems funding. 

“This funding will help local governments identify contaminated sites, clean up solid and hazardous waste debris and address long-term contamination caused by Hurricane Helene,” says DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “We appreciate the continued commitment from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal partners to help communities recover from Helene’s widespread impacts.” 

The $61 million will be allocated as follows:

• Recycling infrastructure ($26,355,456): Grants to local governments to replace or improve recycling infrastructure damaged by the storm, build resilient convenience centers and transfer stations and coordinate recycling and household hazardous waste workshops;
• Debris recovery and disposal ($20,394,893): Direct funding for local governments and nonprofits to manage disaster debris, storage, reduction, disposal and nonhazardous waste collection;
• Brownfields redevelopment ($5,025,931): Identification and cleanup of contaminated sites that were previously in productive community use; 
• Emergency response and cleanup ($2,351,705): Environmental contracts to remove orphaned containers, contaminated soil and other hazardous materials caused by Hurricane Helene;  
• Hazardous waste preparedness ($1,147,393): Groundwater sampling at impacted sites and field response for storm-related emergencies;  
• Waste management workshops and grant support ($1,381,669): Administer grant, develop resources and provide resilient solid waste, recycling and household hazardous waste infrastructure workshops for local government solid waste and recycling managers; and 
• The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ($4,349,438, subaward): Collection events and disposal programs for unusable pesticides, including mini-bulk containers at farm and dealer sites, with education and training components for long-term safety.   

“These grant funds will be instrumental in further assisting the Helene impacted communities while helping to rebuild local recovery infrastructure in a resilient manner,” Division of Waste Management Director Michael Scott says. “We can make transformational improvements to western North Carolina’s recycling infrastructure, thereby reducing reliance on landfills and redirecting valuable materials back into the local economy.” 

DEQ says this funding aims to ensure impacted communities can recover quickly while building stronger, more resilient systems to handle future natural disasters.