Kessler, Santoni announce $131,000 grant for Exeter Township

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. David Kessler D-Berks
www.pahouse.com/Kessler
State Rep. Dante Santoni D-Berks
www.pahouse.com/Santoni

Kessler, Santoni announce $131,000 grant for Exeter Township

EXETER, May 30 – State Reps. David Kessler and Dante Santoni, both D-Berks, today announced that Exeter Township was awarded a $131,268 state recycling performance grant.

"I congratulate Exeter Township and its residents for their recycling efforts," Kessler said. "This grant is based on the 4,704 tons they recycled in 2006 – that's a lot of material kept out of landfills, and it helped to keep recycling an important industry in Pennsylvania."

Santoni said, "Pennsylvania’s recycling industry includes more than 3,240 recycling and reuse businesses, and generates $18.4 billion in gross annual sales. It provides jobs for more than 81,000 people."

Last November, Kessler and Santoni announced the state's award of a $1 million Energy Harvest grant for Exeter Township to help establish a $7.5 million regional biosolids drying facility. The intended purpose of the facility is to produce and sell Class A biosolids, which contain no detectable levels of pathogens, and provide an alternative fuel to replace coal in the production of cement at a nearby plant. Nearly 30 municipalities in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties have expressed interest in using the facility. Exeter Township plans to use landfill gas to power the dryer.

Kessler and Santoni also supported the alternative-energy legislation that passed the House with bipartisan support in the current session. The package of legislation awaits Senate action.

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