The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has awarded $2,000 grants to four local governments for cleanup events this year.

The city of Ironton, Fayette Township, Lawrence Township and Union Township each received the grants which require no local match and can be used for anything that is directly related to the cleanup, Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District Director Dan Palmer said.

“I always encourage people to go after these grants,” Palmer said. “It’s free money.”

Lawrence Township Trustee Verna Harper said the grant is a welcome gift.

“This is a great help to us, it helps keep down the clutter and helps households,” Harper said.

Ironton Mayor Rich Blankenship said his grant will go to pay for gloves, garbage bags and disposal fees as well as things that mulch and other items to beautify the city.

“This is a great benefit for the city,” Blankenship said. “I wish the state would offer more. We’ve been very fortunate to obtain the grant for the last three years and I think one of the reasons we have is that we have so many volunteers for that day. We have 150 people or more coming together.”

Palmer said grants for scrap tire cleanups will be announced in May.