Trash, tires and other debris illegally dumped on two Lancaster County properties will be cleaned up thanks to state grants announced Wednesday in honor of Earth Day.

The local grants were part of a pool of money doled out by the state Department of Environmental Protection through its Community Cleanup Program's Illegal Dump Grants.

"Every year, Earth Day reminds us to take a look at the current state of our environment," John Hanger, acting DEP secretary, said in a news release. "These grants present us with opportunities to correct past actions and improve our surroundings."

Statewide, grants of up to $25,000 were awarded to 42 organizations to help with cleanup projects in 31 counties.

New Holland Borough was awarded $8,908 to clear illegal dump sites on 840 acres the borough is in the process of selling to Lancaster County Conservancy on Welsh Mountain in Salisbury and East Earl townships.

The land eventually will be opened to the public for recreation.

Eden Township was awarded $1,791 to remove debris from the 2.7-mile section of the former Enola Low-Grade Line the township recently took ownership of from the Norfolk Southern railroad company.

The railroad last summer turned over all 23 miles of the abandoned line in Lancaster County to Bart, Conestoga, Eden, Martic, Providence and Sadsbury townships.

Officials in some of those townships, including Eden, have said they will open to the public their portions of the line for use as a rail trail.

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