Contact: R3press@epa.gov
EPA announces $3.9 million in Brownfields Grants for Pennsylvania
EPA designates $64.6 million for Brownfields nationwide
PHILADELPHIA (June 5, 2019) – Today, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $3.9 million for nine Brownfields grants in Pennsylvania. These are nine of the 149 communities selected to receive 151 grant awards totaling $64,623,553 million in EPA Brownfields funding through our Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities in opportunity zones and other parts of the country in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.
"These grants fulfill several of President Trump's top priorities simultaneously: helping communities in need transform contaminated sites into community assets that not only create jobs and jumpstart economic development but also improve public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "We are targeting these funds to areas that need them the most. Approximately 40 percent of the selected recipients are receiving Brownfields grants for the first time, which means we are reaching areas that may previously been neglected, and 108 of the selected communities have identified sites or targeted areas for redevelopment that fall within Opportunity Zones."
One hundred and eight communities selected for grants this year have identified sites or targeted areas in census tracts designated as federal Opportunity Zones. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investment, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
"I am truly excited to join as EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in Pennsylvania today as he announces over $64 million in Brownfield funding," said Scott Turner, Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. "The Brownfields grant program is a tremendous vehicle for bringing real revitalization and transformation to the distressed communities of America. As the Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council I am pleased that EPA continues to support the Council and the President's work in this area. In fact, of the 151 communities selected for these grants, 108 will benefit communities with Opportunity Zones. I look forward to seeing the impact that these grants will have on neighborhoods and citizens across the country."
The nine Brownfields projects in Pennsylvania include:
The Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority will receive will receive $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments, prepare cleanup plans, and conduct community meetings. Grant funds also will be used to inventory and prioritize sites and conduct additional community involvement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Pennsylvania State Hospital in Susquehanna Township, the City of Harrisburg, and the Lykens School in the Borough of Lykens.
Earth Conservancy in Hanover Township, Luzerne County will receive $500,000 to clean up the Bliss Bank – Phase V site in Hanover Township. The 200-acre site formerly was used for anthracite mining operations and has been unused and abandoned since 1976. The site is mine-scarred land contaminated with sulfide minerals that produce acid mine drainage, which has damaged the Espy Run stream that used to flow through the site. Grant funds also will be used for community outreach activities.
The Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County in Meadville will receive $200,000
to conduct environmental site assessment of the Bessemer Site at 789 Bessemer Street in Meadville. The 11-acre site was a maintenance facility for the railroad and had a documented release of heating oil in 1979. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup and reuse planning activities, coordinating community planning meetings, and providing media outlet updates.
The Erie County Industrial Development Authority will receive $526,000 to conduct environmental site assessments and prepare cleanup plans. The assessments will target seven priority sites in Erie County. Grant funds also will be used to update a brownfields inventory, develop a GIS database and mapping materials, and conduct community outreach activities. Coalition partners are the Redevelopment Authority in the City of Corry and the Enterprise Development Center of Erie County Inc.
Lackawanna County will receive $600,000 to conduct up to 25 environmental site assessments and complete cleanup plans for at least 10 sites. Grant funds also will be used to identify new sites to be added to the existing site inventory and conduct community outreach activities. The target areas include the former industrial and manufacturing hubs of Scranton, Old Forge, and Carbondale and mine-scarred sites throughout the county. Coalition partners are the Redevelopment Authority of Lackawanna County and the City of Scranton.
The North Side Industrial Development Company in Allegheny County will receive $600,000 to
conduct environmental site assessments and to develop reuse plans for three neighborhoods. The target area includes Pittsburgh, Duquesne, and other industrial river towns in the county. Coalition partners are the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, and the City of Duquesne.
The Penn-Northwest Development Corporation in Sharon and Farrell in Mercer County will receive $600,000 to conduct environmental site assessments. Grant funds will be used to conduct community outreach activities. Coalition partners are the Cities of Sharon and Farrell, which are the target areas for this grant.
The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority will receive $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments, to develop a GIS database inventory of brownfield sites, prepare at least six cleanup plans, and conduct community outreach activities.
The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Harrisburg will receive $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct a brownfields inventory, conduct cleanup and reuse planning activities, and develop an area-wide plan for the Derry Street Transit-Oriented Development Area and Cameron Street Corridor, the target areas for this grant.
Grants awarded by EPA's Brownfield Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, Brownfields grants have been shown to:
- Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.
- Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5% and 15% following cleanup.
Background
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. As of May 2019, under the EPA Brownfields Program 30,153 properties have been assessed, and 86,131 acres of idle land have been made ready for productive use. In addition, communities have been able to use Brownfields grants to leverage 150,120 jobs and more than $28 billion of public and private funding.
In 2018 Congress reauthorized the statutory authority for the Brownfields Program. The reauthorization included changes to the program to expand the list of entities eligible for Brownfields grants, increase the limit of individual Brownfields cleanup grants to $500,000, and add grant authority for Multipurpose grants. These important changes will help communities address and cleanup more complex brownfield sites.
The 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on December 11-13 in Los Angeles, California. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing formerly utilized commercial and industrial properties. EPA cosponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association.
For a list of all the grants selected for funding: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy19-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants
For the booklet "Brownfields: Properties with New Purpose, Improving Local Economies in Communities with Brownfield Sites": https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/bf_booklet.pdf
For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
More on the 2019 Brownfields Conference: https://www.brownfields2019.org
Contact: R3press@epa.gov
EPA announces $3.4 million in Brownfields Grants for Virginia
EPA designates a total of $64.6 million for Brownfields nationwide
PHILADELPHIA (June 5, 2019) – Today, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $3.4 million to support seven Brownfields projects in Virginia. These are seven of the 149 communities selected to receive 151 grant awards totaling $64,623,553 million in EPA Brownfields funding through our Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities in opportunity zones and other parts of the country in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.
"These grants fulfill several of President Trump's top priorities simultaneously: helping communities in need transform contaminated sites into community assets that not only create jobs and jumpstart economic development but also improve public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "We are targeting these funds to areas that need them the most. Approximately 40 percent of the selected recipients are receiving Brownfields grants for the first time, which means we are reaching areas that may previously been neglected, and 108 of the selected communities have identified sites or targeted areas for redevelopment that fall within Opportunity Zones."
The seven Brownfields projects in Virginia include:
The Town of Bluefield in Mercer County will receive will receive $600,000 to conduct environmental site assessments on properties in the Town of Bluefield, Virginia, and the City of Bluefield, West Virginia. Grant funds also will be used to prepare three endangered species or cultural resources surveys; eight cleanup plans; a downtown revitalization plan for the Town of Bluefield; six site reuse assessments; and a community involvement plan; and support other community involvement activities. Coalition partners are the City of Bluefield and the Bluefield Industrial Development Authority.
The City of Danville will receive $300,000 to conduct site assessments in the River District and the Schoolfield area. Grant funds also will be used to update the White Mill, Schoolfield, and Riverfront Park redevelopment plans, prepare a Long Mill redevelopment concept, develop a community involvement plan, and conduct community outreach activities.
The LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, which serves Lee, Wise, Dickenson and Scott Counties, will receive $600,000 to conduct site assessments that focus on sites along the Powell River Trail North abandoned railroad corridor, abandoned mine land properties, and seven former grade school properties in the Town of Clintwood. Priority sites include the Kent Junction Gob Pile and Clintwood High School. Grant funds will also will be used to establish a secondary brownfield inventory, develop two reuse plans, and conduct community outreach activities. Coalition partners are the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facility Authority and Dickenson County.
The City of Martinsville will receive $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments that focus on priority sites in the Uptown Martinsville neighborhood: The Rives Theater, Chief Tassel Building, and Sara Lee Apparel plant. Grant funds also will be used to develop three redevelopment plans, develop a GIS-based brownfields site inventory and database, prioritize sites, and conduct community outreach activities.
The City of Richmond will receive $600,000 to conduct environmental site assessments that focus on the Northside and Southside areas of the city. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a brownfields inventory, develop six cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities. Coalition partners are Henrico County and project HOMES, a non-profit organization focused on safe and affordable housing in Central Virginia.
The Town of Vinton in Roanoke County will receive $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments that target four areas: Route 24 /Washington Avenue/Gus Nicks Boulevard area; the Route 634/Virginia Avenue/Hardy Road area; Pollard Street; and the Cleveland and Jackson Avenues area. Grant funds also will be used to develop a GIS-based brownfields site inventory and database, prioritize sites, develop three cleanup plans, and support community outreach activities.
The City of Williamsburg will receive $600,000 to conduct environmental site assessments that target the Edge area on the eastern side of the city; the unincorporated community of Grove in James City County; and the Lightfoot and Tabb Lakes areas. Grant funds of both types also will be used to develop six remediation/redevelopment plans, prepare a brownfields inventory and database, prioritize sites for assessment, and support community engagement activities. Coalition partners are James City County, York County, and the Greater Williamsburg Partnership.
Grants awarded by EPA's Brownfield Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, Brownfields grants have been shown to:
- Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.
- Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5% and 15% following cleanup.
One hundred and eight communities selected for grants this year have identified sites or targeted areas in census tracts designated as federal Opportunity Zones. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investment, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.
"I am truly excited to join as EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announces over $64 million in Brownfield funding," said Scott Turner, Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. "The Brownfields grant program is a tremendous vehicle for bringing real revitalization and transformation to the distressed communities of America. As the Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council I am pleased that EPA continues to support the Council and the President's work in this area. In fact, of the 151 communities selected for these grants, 108 will benefit communities with Opportunity Zones. I look forward to seeing the impact that these grants will have on neighborhoods and citizens across the country."
Background
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. As of May 2019, under the EPA Brownfields Program 30,153 properties have been assessed, and 86,131 acres of idle land have been made ready for productive use. In addition, communities have been able to use Brownfields grants to leverage 150,120 jobs and more than $28 billion of public and private funding.
In 2018 Congress reauthorized the statutory authority for the Brownfields Program. The reauthorization included changes to the program to expand the list of entities eligible for Brownfields grants, increase the limit of individual Brownfields cleanup grants to $500,000, and add grant authority for Multipurpose grants. These important changes will help communities address and cleanup more complex brownfield sites.
The 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on December 11-13 in Los Angeles, California. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing formerly utilized commercial and industrial properties. EPA cosponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association.
For a list of all the grants selected for funding: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy19-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants
For the booklet "Brownfields: Properties with New Purpose, Improving Local Economies in Communities with Brownfield Sites": https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/bf_booklet.pdf
For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
More on the 2019 Brownfields Conference: https://www.brownfields2019.org
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Contact: R3press@epa.gov
EPA announces $300,000 Brownfields Grant for Wilmington, Delaware
EPA designates $64.6 million for Brownfields nationwide
PHILADELHIA (June 5, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a $300,00 grant to the City of Wilmington, Delaware. Wilmington is one of 149 communities selected to receive 151 grant awards totaling $64,623,553 million in EPA Brownfields funding through our Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities in opportunity zones and other parts of the country in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.
"These grants fulfill several of President Trump's top priorities simultaneously: helping communities in need transform contaminated sites into community assets that not only create jobs and jumpstart economic development but also improve public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "We are targeting these funds to areas that need them the most. Approximately 40 percent of the selected recipients are receiving Brownfields grants for the first time, which means we are reaching areas that may previously been neglected, and 108 of the selected communities have identified sites or targeted areas for redevelopment that fall within Opportunity Zones."
The grant to Wilmington will be used to conduct environmental site assessments in a portion of the Price's Run neighborhood. Funds will also support cleanup and reuse planning activities and to conduct community outreach activities, including 12 community meetings.
Grants awarded by EPA's Brownfield Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, Brownfields grants have been shown to:
- Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.
- Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5% and 15% following cleanup.
Background
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. As of May 2019, under the EPA Brownfields Program 30,153 properties have been assessed, and 86,131 acres of idle land have been made ready for productive use. In addition, communities have been able to use Brownfields grants to leverage 150,120 jobs and more than $28 billion of public and private funding.
In 2018 Congress reauthorized the statutory authority for the Brownfields Program. The reauthorization included changes to the program to expand the list of entities eligible for Brownfields grants, increase the limit of individual Brownfields cleanup grants to $500,000, and add grant authority for Multipurpose grants. These important changes will help communities address and cleanup more complex brownfield sites.
The 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on December 11-13 in Los Angeles, California. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing formerly utilized commercial and industrial properties. EPA cosponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association.
For a list of grants funded nationwide: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy19-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants
For the booklet "Brownfields: Properties with New Purpose, Improving Local Economies in Communities with Brownfield Sites": https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/bf_booklet.pdf
For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
More on the 2019 Brownfields Conference: https://www.brownfields2019.org
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact: R3press@epa.gov
EPA announces $2.4 million in Brownfields Grants for West Virginia
EPA designates a total of $64.6 million for Brownfields nationwide
PHILADELHIA (June 5, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $2.4 million to support seven Brownfields grantees in West Virginia. These projects are seven of the 149 communities selected to receive 151 grant awards totaling $64,623,553 million in EPA Brownfields funding through our Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities in opportunity zones and other parts of the country in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.
"These grants fulfill several of President Trump's top priorities simultaneously: helping communities in need transform contaminated sites into community assets that not only create jobs and jumpstart economic development but also improve public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "We are targeting these funds to areas that need them the most. Approximately 40 percent of the selected recipients are receiving Brownfields grants for the first time, which means we are reaching areas that may previously been neglected, and 108 of the selected communities have identified sites or targeted areas for redevelopment that fall within Opportunity Zones."
The seven Brownfields projects in West Virginia include:
The Belomar Regional Council, which serves communities in the Ohio River Corridor between Bellaire, Ohio, and Wheeling, West Virginia, will receive $200,000 to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and reuse plans, develop a prioritized brownfield site inventory, and conduct community outreach activities. The Belomar Regional Council has identified the Great Stone Viaduct in Bellaire, the former Robrecht property in Wheeling, and seven other sites in the corridor as priority sites.
The Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle will recive $600,000 to environmental site assessments and develop cleanup plans. Grant funds will be used to create a GIS web-based inventory system, prioritize sites, and conduct community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on four target areas within the 3-2-1 Brownfields Coalition Corridor of Opportunity. Coalition partners are the Jefferson County Port Authority and the Brooke Hancock Regional Planning Development Council.
The Coalfield Development Corporation in Huntington will receive $500,000 to clean up the former Black Diamond Facility at 2923 Park Avenue in Huntington. The 50,000 square-foot facility was built on five acres in the late 1910s and operated as an industrial site for manufacturing auto, airplane, military, and mine car parts, processing electric transformers, fabricating and welding metal, handling scrap, and burning waste. The site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, PCBs, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to create a project summary document for local community awareness.
The Ronceverte Development Corporation in Greenbrier County will receive $414,000 to clean up the former Lewisburg Wholesale Building at 107 Chestnut Street in the City of Ronceverte. The 45,000 square-foot, three-story building was constructed in the 1920s and was used as a grocery wholesale distribution center as well as for furniture manufacturing and finishing, electronics manufacturing, and bulk grocery storage. The site is contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and inorganic contaminants.
The Save the Tygart Watershed Association Inc. in Taylor County will receive $200,000 to clean up the Carr China Site at 230 Newcome Avenue in Grafton. From 2008 to 2010, EPA conducted cleanup work to remove 12,000 tons of soil and most of the facility's remaining infrastructure. While the cleanup work addressed the most imminent environmental threats, foundations and structural remnants, residual contaminants remain onsite. The 7.39-acre site was formerly a china manufacturing facility that operated from 1916 until 1952, suffered a fire in the 1960s, and is contaminated with heavy metals. Grant funds also will be used to plan 24 quarterly community meetings and develop information materials, media announcements, and print ads.
The Wayne County Economic Development Authority Inc. will receive $200,000 to conduct environmental site assessments along the 152 Corridor. Grant funds also will be used to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites, develop two cleanup and reuse plans, and support community outreach activities, including monthly public board meetings and quarterly public meetings.
The West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation in Morgantown will receive $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments near or adjacent to the Mon River target area. Grant funds will also be used to develop cleanup plans, inventory and prioritize sites, and conduct community outreach activities.
Grants awarded by EPA's Brownfield Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, Brownfields grants have been shown to:
- Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.
- Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5% and 15% following cleanup.
Background
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. As of May 2019, under the EPA Brownfields Program 30,153 properties have been assessed, and 86,131 acres of idle land have been made ready for productive use. In addition, communities have been able to use Brownfields grants to leverage 150,120 jobs and more than $28 billion of public and private funding.
In 2018 Congress reauthorized the statutory authority for the Brownfields Program. The reauthorization included changes to the program to expand the list of entities eligible for Brownfields grants, increase the limit of individual Brownfields cleanup grants to $500,000, and add grant authority for Multipurpose grants. These important changes will help communities address and cleanup more complex brownfield sites.
The 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on December 11-13 in Los Angeles, California. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing formerly utilized commercial and industrial properties. EPA cosponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association.
For a list of all the grants awarded: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy19-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants
For the booklet "Brownfields: Properties with New Purpose, Improving Local Economies in Communities with Brownfield Sites": https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/bf_booklet.pdf
For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
More on the 2019 Brownfields Conference: https://www.brownfields2019.org
Environmental Protection Agency, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 United States
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