Pennsylvania DEP Awards Small Business Advantage Grants to Nine Small Businesses

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded more than $57,905 in grants to help nine small businesses across Pennsylvania invest in energy efficiency or pollution prevention projects.

"This program empowers small-business owners to invest in important upgrades that make the most sense for their business," DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. "It gives them the opportunity to lower the costs of production, which makes them better environmental stewards and more competitive."

One of the nine businesses received funding from the Storm Relief Grant program, which offers a maximum 50-percent reimbursement, up to $9,500, for small businesses that sustained storm damage in counties that were declared eligible for federal disaster relief following last year's floods.

Pennsylvania's Small Business Advantage Grant program, funded through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, assists small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. It provides 50-percent matching reimbursement grants of up to $7,500 to implement projects that will save $1,000, in addition to 25 percent annually in pollution prevention or energy-related costs. Since 2004, the program has invested $6.1 million in 1,571 small businesses statewide.

Of the $1 million in grants budgeted for the current fiscal year, 129 grants totaling $780,994 have been awarded to date. The nine new grants will create $231,001 of private-sector investment in small businesses. 

Examples of eligible projects include High Efficiency HVAC and insulation upgrades for new businesses, high-efficiency lighting to save energy, installation of energy-efficient heat pumps and new auxiliary power units that help large trucks reduce time spent with idling engines.

For more information about the Small Business Advantage Grant program, contact DEP's Small Business Ombudsman's Office at 717-772-8909 or via email at [email protected].

Media Contact: Amanda Witman, 717-787-1323

Editor's Note: The nine businesses that were awarded grants are listed below, alphabetically by county, with the project location and award amount.

Allegheny County
Quick Car Wash, Pittsburgh - $6,062

Berks County
Mark Perles, Morgantown - $6,015

Bradford County
Edwards Trucking, Towanda - $2,037

Bucks County
ORE Inc., Quakertown - $7,500

Cumberland County
Benjamin Hammar, Newville - $5,048

Delaware County
Holiday Cleaners, Broomall - $7,500

Franklin County
The Pet Store, Chambersburg - $6,743

Lackawanna County
Este Tux DBA Sarno and Son, Scranton - $7,500

Luzerne County
Crest Quality Cleaners, Pittston - $9,500 (including additional storm relief funding)

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

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