§ 27-0405. New York state local resource reuse and development program. 1. The department shall design and actively implement a local resource reuse and development program which shall promote the collection, intermediate processing and marketing of waste materials that are now being disposed of as municipal solid waste in New York state. The program shall:

(a) promote the development and implementation of resource reuse programs by municipalities;

(b) serve as a clearinghouse for information regarding existing municipal resource reuse programs;

(c) identify special needs and problems facing municipalities in developing and implementing resource reuse programs, and recommend approaches and solutions to address such identified needs and problems; and

(d) provide other technical assistance to municipalities seeking to develop and implement resource reuse programs. 2. The program shall provide funding for up to seventy-five percent of the cost of municipal resource reuse programs, including the cost of planning, designing, coordinating and implementing collection, processing, marketing, public participation, promotional and other activities essential to carrying out the program. Funds shall be made available for one or more of the following purposes:

(a) an analysis of the municipal waste stream;

(b) a preliminary market survey to identify:

(1) firms in the region that currently process, broker, market or otherwise engage in resource reuse activities, and

(2) the quantity of additional waste materials that current markets could absorb;

(c) development and distribution of information based on the operation of the program and the related materials and market considerations;

(d) support of a local resource reuse coordinator who will be responsible for overseeing development and implementation of the municipal resource reuse program. Duties shall include coordinating municipal collection, intermediate processing and marketing efforts with existing local, regional and state resource reuse and market development efforts; and

(e) development of a comprehensive resource reuse public education and promotion campaign to inform residents regarding the need for and operation of local resource reuse efforts and to increase public awareness of the benefits to be accrued from utilizing reused and recycled products. The promotional campaign shall include, but need not be limited to:

(1) public education and outreach activities such as: magazine, newspaper, television, radio and public transportation advertisements and public informational meetings and seminars; and

(2) dissemination of public information materials providing the details of the municipal program including, but not limited to items to be collected, collection locations and schedules. 3. The department shall receive applications for assistance from a municipality, acting alone or in conjunction with one or more other municipalities. Applications shall be evaluated based on the following criteria:

(a) energy savings of the proposal;

(b) technical feasibility of the proposal;

(c) municipal government commitment to the program;

(d) whether the applicant has pursued other sources of funding, including, but not limited to funding available under title nine of article fifty-one of this chapter; and

(e) demonstrated ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed program. 4. In evaluating proposals, the department shall consider the potential for coordination and consolidation of solid waste practices among municipalities within specified areas or regions, and shall encourage such cooperation and consolidation where it is practicable and would result in enhanced energy savings, environmental protection and cost effectiveness.