 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov EPA Announces the Selection of Four Communities in Virginia to Receive $1.5 Million in Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup Funding Will help underserved communities Build Back Better and address Environmental Justice concerns PHILDELPHIA (May 12, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the selection of 151 communities to receive 154 grant awards totaling $66.5 million in Brownfields funding through its Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants. This includes $1.5 million for communities in Virginia. This funding will support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities across the country in assessing and cleaning up contaminated and abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Approximately 50 percent of selected recipients will be receiving EPA Brownfields Grant funding for the first time and more than 85 percent are in small communities. "Through our Brownfields Program, EPA is delivering on the Biden Administration's commitment to lifting up and protecting overburdened communities across America, especially communities that have experienced long periods of disinvestment and decay," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "These assessment and cleanup grants will not only support economic growth and job creation, but they will also empower communities to address the environmental, public health, and social issues associated with contaminated land." These MAC grants include: - $42.2 million for 107 Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
- $15.5 million for 36 Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.
The MAC grant recipients in Virginia are: EPA has selected Northampton County for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop 10 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup and reuse plans, and conduct community outreach activities. Priority sites include a former railroad depot, a former Benjamin's Department Store, and a former Coca-Cola bottling plant, all in the target area of the Town of Exmore. EPA has selected Pittsylvania County for a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop 18 Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to prepare five site-specific redevelopment plans for priority sites and three area-wide revitalization plans. Assessment activities will focus on five priority sites: the Staunton Plaza Shopping Center and the 600-acre Burlington Industries property in Hurt; the 100 Block of South Main Street in Gretna, which contains the Gretna Commercial Historic District; Pat's Place, which is a former diner in Chatham; and the Blairs Southside Manufacturing former mill site. Coalition partners are the Towns of Chatham, Gretna, and Hurt. EPA has selected the City of Staunton for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop 10 Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities, including hosting four community meetings. Assessment activities will focus on the West End of Staunton. Priority sites include the former Unifi Manufacturing site, the vacant Chestnut Hills Shopping center, the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) Warehouse, and the Rose Time Scrap and Metal Recycling facility. EPA has selected the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop 10 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments, and develop cleanup and reuse plans. Grant funds also will be used to host 12 meetings with community groups, site owners, and developers, and conduct other community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is Virginia's Southside Planning District Commission Region, which is comprised of Brunswick, Halifax, and Mecklenburg Counties. Priority sites include the JP Stevens Plant, the Burlington Clarksville Plant, and the Brunswick Correctional Facility. The list of all the fiscal year 2021 applicants selected for funding is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2021-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants. EPA anticipates that it will award the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by the selected recipients. Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has provided nearly $1.76 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return them to productive reuse. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example, - To date, communities participating in the Brownfields Program have been able to attract more than $34.4 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding after receiving Brownfields funds. This has led to over 175,500 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment.
- Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.13 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
- In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15.2% because of cleanup activities.
- Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites.
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  
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