Rapid City accepts nearly $5 million EPA recycling grant to expand curbside and commercial programs

The Rapid City Public Works Committee on June 30 approved acceptance of a $4,977,265 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand local recycling infrastructure and programming.

Mike, a city public‑works staff member, told the committee the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant would fund capital upgrades at the city’s material recovery facility and allow Rapid City to expand curbside cardboard pickup and begin a commercial recycling program serving multifamily housing, schools and hospitals. "This is just shy of a $5 million grant that the EPA would award to us," he said during the presentation.

The grant package includes roughly $765,000 for an OCC (cardboard) screen for the material recovery facility, funding to secure and staff a northern remote collection site to reduce contamination, three new collection trucks and containers for commercial accounts, and a public‑education campaign. Staff told the committee the program is structured as a three‑year effort (2026–2029) and carries performance commitments to increase participation from about 10% to 21% and to divert an additional 18,576 tons per year from the landfill.

Why it matters: city staff said the work would extend the life of landfill cells and improve the financial sustainability of recycling operations. Rapid City’s material recovery facility has operated since 1996 and currently processes about 3,800 tons of recyclables per year; staff said this is the only such facility within roughly 347 miles and that increased volume would improve processing efficiency and marketability of recovered materials.

Council discussion and vote: a council member praised the grants division and asked staff to re‑examine whether regional partners that currently drop recycling at Rapid City’s site are effectively subsidized by Rapid City ratepayers. A second council member asked whether EPA would strictly enforce the participation targets; Mike said EPA has been "really good to work with" and indicated there is flexibility if the city is making good‑faith progress toward goals. The committee moved, seconded and approved acceptance of the grant (PW063026-17) and delegated signing authority to the public‑works director.

What’s next: staff said accepting the grant only commits the city to the program and that detailed rate or operational changes would be presented later as part of a business plan and cost‑of‑service analysis. The committee approved acceptance and asked staff to return with a more detailed implementation plan and to consider the regional cost‑sharing question raised during the discussion.