Rep. McNally, Austintown Township Announces $4,875 in Grant Funding to Combat Illegal Dumping in Austintown

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) and the Austintown Township Administration today announced $4,875 from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office’s “Shine a Light on Dumpers” program, awarded to Austintown Township. The funding will be used to stop after-hours dumping at Green Briar Township Park by installing a barrier gate at the park entrance to limit access during non-operational hours.

“Protecting Ohio’s environment is something that is incredibly important for future generations of Ohioans,” said Rep. McNally. “I am happy to see Austintown getting the support it needs to address environmental issues afflicting our communities like illegal dumping.”

The “Shine a Light on Dumpers” program is a rollout of grant programs by Attorney General Dave Yost to celebrate Earth Day 2025, awarding more than $1M in funding for various local governments across Ohio. These funds will support the cleanup of existing illegal dump sites and help prevent future environmental damage caused by the open dumping of solid waste and demolition debris.

“On behalf of the Austintown Township Trustees, Fiscal Officer, Administrator and all of Austintown Township, we would like to thank State Representative McNally for helping us secure this grant funding to assist our Parks Department in preventing illegal dumping,” said Austintown Township Trustee Robert Santos.

For more information about the program, see here.