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Four Climate Smart Communities grants, the most awarded to any applicant, totaling $580K will be allocated to reducing food waste, improving fleet efficiency, and creating climate adaptation and organics management plans; one Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) totaling $607,912 for the Glenwood Dam Improvement Project

Additional $115K Grant to Westchester County will assist New Rochelle and eight other municipalities with hyper-local Climate Action Plan

The City of New Rochelle is proud to announce that we have been awarded four New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Climate Smart Communities grants, the largest number of grants awarded to any one applicant in the 2024 CFA Round, and part of the largest ever awarded since the program was created thanks to funding from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 (Environmental Bond Act). The grants, totaling $580K, will support local projects aimed at reducing waste, improving fleet efficiency, and enhancing climate resilience.

In addition to the four Climate Smart Communities grants, the City received a grant from the NYS DEC Water Quality Improvement Project for the Glenwood Dam Improvement Project, totaling $607,912.

Additionally, New Rochelle will benefit, along with eight other Westchester municipalities, from Westchester County's award of a $115,000 grant from the NYSDEC Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Program for a new climate action plan.

"As climate-related disasters become more frequent and intense, New Rochelle is proud to be leading the way on critical sustainability initiatives," said New Rochelle City Manager Wilfredo Melendez. "From creating a climate adaptation plan to reducing food waste and improving fleet efficiency, these grants will benefit our community and the environment alike. Thank you to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for supporting these crucial measures and helping us take significant strides toward a more sustainable future."

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"In New Rochelle, we know that we must take action today to prepare for the climate-related disasters of tomorrow," said New Rochelle City Council Member Sara Kaye. "We greatly appreciate the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's support, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on our critical sustainability priorities. These grants will go a long way toward ensuring a safer and healthier future for our community."

A summary of the grants is as follows:

• Reducing Food Waste- $300,000: New Rochelle will expand and improve on a pilot food scrap recycling program. These improvements will include installing a storage shed, water lines, sanitary cleaning equipment, and concrete pads for the collection areas at the two drop-off sites. The project will also include public engagement sessions, creation of marketing and educational materials, and other enhancements to encourage citizens to participate in food scraps composting.  
• Fleet Inventory & Fleet Efficiency Policy- $100,000 New Rochelle will complete a fleet inventory and fleet efficiency policy. The City currently has a piecemeal fleet inventory that does not provide an accurate assessment of all vehicles nor a clear plan to identify and replace current vehicles with zero-emissions vehicles.  
• Climate Adaptation Plan- $100,000: New Rochelle will create a climate adaptation plan. This plan will build on the previously completed climate vulnerability assessment to develop action items that address relevant hazards and provide guidance on leveraging resources to implement actions.  
• Organics Management Plan- $80,000: New Rochelle will develop an organics management plan, which will be one component of the City's development of a solid waste management plan (SWMP). The goal of the SWMP is to evaluate the City's refuse and recycling collection process, routes, and composition, as well as the pilot food scraps recycling program and recommend changes that will increase organics diversion.
• Glenwood Dam Improvement - $607,912: New Rochelle would replace the spillway of the Glenwood Dam with one that meets DEC spillway design flood standards, repair the masonry walls located on the sides of the drop inlet that have been damaged due to erosion, remove the trees and overgrowth that have collected around the dam and threaten its safety, and install water quality structures to treat runoff reaching the lake. This project will not only fortify the dam against potential failure caused by the increased frequency of heavy rain events caused by climate change, but it will also improve the water quality of the inflow reaching the lake.
• Climate Action Plan, to Westchester County- $115,000: New Rochelle is one of nine Westchester municipalities participating in Westchester County's new climate action plan. Hudson Valley Regional Council, in conjunction with Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), will lead the implementation of this strategically-designed plan to guide and empower nine participating municipalities in the development of their own hyper-local climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate against climate change, and increase their sustainability as a community.

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