The department may:

(1)  Contract for services to be performed to carry out this chapter, including, but not limited to, environmental control assessment, feasibility analysis, the review of project design, field management responsibilities, and project scheduling and control.

(2)  Grant funding for equipment construction needed for demonstration of hazardous waste reduction, recycling, and treatment technologies shall be provided to projects selected pursuant to § 23-19.10-7 in four (4) consecutive steps:

(i)  Step I grants shall be made to study the feasibility of a proposed project. Ninety percent (90%) of the costs of the feasibility study shall be eligible for grant funding up to a maximum of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) per grant. In activities funded by a Step I grant, the applicant shall develop information needed to select the waste reduction, recycling, or treatment alternative, which would be most cost effective.

(ii)  Step II grants shall be made for project design. Seventy percent (70%) of the costs of the design of the project shall be eligible for grant funding, except that a small business may be eligible for ninety percent (90%) of those costs up to a maximum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) per grant. In activities funded by a Step II grant, the applicant shall prepare detailed plans and specifications for the selected facilities, establish schedules for implementation, and obtain necessary permits.

(iii)  Step III grants shall be made for the construction of the facilities. Fifty percent (50%) of the costs of constructing the project shall be eligible for grant funding, except that a small business may be eligible for ninety percent (90%) of those costs, up to a maximum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) per grant. As a condition of receiving a Step III grant, the grantee shall allow the results of the project to be evaluated and the information disseminated to other parties. In activities funded by a Step III grant, the applicant shall construct the facilities as designed under a Step II grant, procure needed equipment, and obtain necessary permits to operate the facility.

(iv)  Step IV grants shall be made to evaluate the effectiveness of grant-funded facilities, develop information on compliance with regulatory permits, and assess applicability of the selected approach to other generators of similar hazardous wastes. Ninety percent (90%) of the costs of those activities shall be eligible for grant funding, except that a small business may be eligible for one hundred percent (100%) of those costs, up to a maximum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per grant.