This story was originally published by Verite News.
Facing an imminent deadline, Mayor Helena Moreno has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an extension to spend a federal grant intended to universalize recycling in New Orleans. But she is declining to move forward on the cornerstone of the existing grant — an estimated $4.5 million to purchase approximately 83,000 recycling carts for the 58% of New Orleans residences currently without one — and is instead asking to move forward only with funding for education, outreach and long-term planning.
“At this time, the City cannot pursue the remaining scope of work for cart deployment due to the city’s financial issues,” Moreno wrote in a letter to the city’s grant officer for the EPA, which she sent along with a letter of support from U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans. “Unfortunately, at this time we cannot cover the gap for additional staffing and education resources necessary to ensure successful outcomes of such a significant cart deployment.”
The announcement comes as the city has faced pressure from environmental advocates in recent weeks after the New Orleans City Councildeclined to move forward with a key contract to purchase the bins, citing budget concerns. The city is dealing with a more than $200 million budget deficit, which has led to cuts, furloughs and layoffs across the board — including to the Office of Resilience and Sustainability, whose staff members had championed the universal recycling program.
The grant is worth more than $5 million in total, including the $4.5 million for the new bins and nearly $900,000 for recycling education and outreach and to develop a solid waste master plan. Under the original terms of the grant — the city is poised to lose the money if it goes unused by the end of Tuesday (March 31).
Advocates for the initiative have argued that the city is turning down free, outside money to universalize recycling and meet some of its critical climate goals. Last week, supporters of the grant delivered a petition with more than 2,000 signatures, demanding that the city move forward with the universal recycling program before the grant expires.
Now, some say, the city’s latest announcement feels less like a concession and more like another nail in the coffin of the universal recycling program.
“The Mayor had zero intention of moving forward with this grant as it was awarded … orchestrating its failure through deliberate delay and inaction,” said Chris Lang, a former employee in the Office of Resilience and Sustainability. Before he was laid off earlier this year, Lang was the city’s only staff member dedicated to both waste and sustainability. Lang said he was under the impression that any changes to the grant could result in its cancellation.
“While the extension request they submitted and today’s press release appear thoughtful and considerate, when we look behind the veil we can see it for it is: a PR stunt to save their image while ensuring the grant gets cancelled,” Lang said.
Franziska Trautmann, the co-founder of the glass recycling company Glass Half Full, told Verite News that while she is glad that the city is moving forward with the federal grant in part, she is disappointed in how it’s being handled.
“While education and a solid waste master plan are extremely important, without the ability to supply the entire city with a cart and make recycling truly equitable this plan may fall short,” Trautmann said. “Residents have been asking for a public forum to discuss this grant for months. It is concerning that the administration is only just now publicly speaking on the matter on the last possible day to extend the grant … without any public forum or input.”
The recycling initiative was opposed by waste haulers, including Sidney Torres of IV Waste, who has stridently opposed the initiative, arguing that the city needed a “well-considered and comprehensive plan” before instituting universal recycling.
“The City’s revised approach prioritizes stronger public education and outreach, completion of a solid waste master plan, and development of a financially and operationally sustainable recycling system,” the city’s official statement reads. “This is an important first step toward improving recycling outcomes and affirm[ing] the mayor’s commitment to working with federal partners and advocates to achieve lasting results.”
This story has been updated to include a comment from Chris Lang.