Area counties receive grants

A second grant for Mahoning County will help to recycle used electronics.
COLUMBUS -- Mahoning, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties will receive state grants to support everything from litter collection to innovative developments in recycling.
Community development and market development grants totaling nearly $3 million recently were awarded by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Recycling & amp; Litter Prevention.
The largest local grant was announced Tuesday at a Mahoning County commissioners meeting.
The county, in cooperation with Associated Paper Stock Inc. of North Lima, will receive $250,000 to build and open a materials recovery facility, where plastic, aluminum and other recyclable materials will be collected and prepared for market.
Estimated expense
Associated Paper Stock must provide matching funds, but president Tom Yanko said he expects to spend as much as $500,000 to build the county's first MRF. At least 10 new jobs will be created.
In addition, Mahoning County Solid Waste Management District has been awarded a $22,500 grant to help pay for nine used electronics collections in 2007. The solid-waste district will add at least $11,400 in local funds.
Columbiana County's community development grant of $3,118 will be used to buy recycling containers to be placed at local schools to collect beverage containers and office paper. The county's share is $1,909.
Ashtabula County, which is part of the Trumbull-Ashtabula-Geauga Solid Waste District, received a $10,000 community development grant to buy supplies and reimburse disposal costs as public areas and illegal dump sites are cleaned.
The county will chip in at least $2,000.