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EPA ADMINISTRATOR WHITMAN ANNOUNCES $14.6 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HELP 80 COMMUNITIES REVITALIZE ABANDONED PROPERTIES

Release Date: 05/20/2002
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Also available in Spanish: "Whitman anuncia $14.6 millones en Subvenciones para Evaluar la Contaminación de las Propiedades Abandonadas y Contaminadas ( "Brownfields" ) en 80 comunidades en todo el País"




Environmental News

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman today announced $14.6 million in Brownfields grants to assess the contamination of abandoned properties in 80 communities around the nation. Since its inception, EPA’s Brownfields Program has contributed over $280 million in pilots and grants to spur assessment, cleanup and redevelopment at brownfields sites.

At an event with Congressman Jim Greenwood at the Riverfront North Property, in Bucks County, Pa., Whitman said, “Reclaiming America=s brownfields properties is an effective way to help revitalize and reinvigorate our nation=s blighted neighborhoods while at the same time preventing urban sprawl.”

“Brownfields reclamation is one of the great environmental success stories of the past decade,” Whitman continued. “But the story is hardly over. EPA and its partners in every state of the union are ready to write the next chapter in the brownfields story. Given the commitment of this Administration, I can guarantee you that story will have a very happy ending.”

Today's grants were awarded under EPA's Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot program. Around the country, 38 communities received funding totaling $7.95 million for new Assessment Demonstration Pilots that fund the assessment of Brownfields properties. The assessment pilots are designed to empower states, cities, towns, counties and tribes to work together in a timely manner to assess and encourage cleanup of Brownfields properties in order to promote their sustainable reuse. In addition, 42 communities received supplemental funding totaling $6.65 million to continue or expand their existing Brownfields program.

Brownfields are abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.

For every dollar of federal money spent on Brownfields cleanup activities, cities and states produce or leverage $2.48 in private investment. To date, EPA's Brownfields program has leveraged over $4 billion in public and private investments that have turned abandoned industrial properties into thriving economic centers, useful recreational areas and beneficial open spaces. Brownfields redevelopment also plays a crucial role in saving greenfields–an estimated 4.5 acres of greenfields are saved for every one acre of Brownfields redeveloped. Greenfields are areas that have not been previously developed. In addition, Brownfields pilots have leveraged over 19,000 cleanup, construction and redevelopment jobs.

Beyond the Assessment Demonstration Pilot program, EPA's Brownfields program also funds state and local governments through cleanup revolving loan fund pilots and job training pilots. Earlier this month, Whitman announced $21.5 million in Brownfields grants to clean up and revitalize blighted communities in 17 states. Those grants were awarded under EPA's Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund program to capitalize state and local programs that in turn provide no- interest or low- interest loans to businesses to carry out cleanup activities at Brownfields properties.

All of these pilot programs are intended to provide states, tribes, municipalities and communities with useful information and strategies to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties. These grants spur partnerships among state and local governments, community groups, investors and developers to get sites cleaned up and ready for community use instead of remaining a liability to the community and a continuing threat to public health and the environment.

Earlier this year, President Bush signed bipartisan legislation that will encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of old industrial properties – cleaning up our environment, creating jobs and protecting small businesses from frivolous lawsuits. In addition, the President's FY 03 budget request doubled the funds available through the EPA in FY 02 -- from $98 million to $200 million -- to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites.

“Thanks to legislation President Bush signed earlier this year – right here in Pennsylvania – the barriers that have made it difficult to reclaim some of the more challenging brownfields in America have been lifted,” said Whitman.

For further information about EPA's Brownfields program, see: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields.

Attached is a list of grant recipients.


California

Humboldt County - $200,000

San Bernardino County - $200,000

Georgia

Columbus - $200,000

Illinois

Southwestern Illinois Development Authority - $200,000

Indiana

Evansville - $200,000

Iowa

Dubuque - $200,000


Louisiana
South Central Planning and Development Commission - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Massachusetts

Franklin Reg. Council of Governments - $200,000

Holyoke - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Northampton - $200,000


Michigan

Bay City - $200,000

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Manistee - $200,000

Sanilac County - $200,000

Minnesota

Duluth - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Nevada

Nye County - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

New Hampshire

Claremont - $200,000

New Jersey

Lakewood Development Corporation - $200,000

New York

Broome County - $200,000

Lackawanna - $200,000

North Carolina

Land-of-Sky Regional Council - $200,000

Ohio

Lancaster - $200,000

Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority - $200,000

Village of Lincoln Heights - $200,000

Oregon

Clackamas County - $200,000


Pennsylvania
Borough of Ambridge - $200,000

South Carolina

Catawba Regional Council of Governments - $200,000

Laurens - $200,000

South Dakota

Yankton - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds Tennessee

Tennessee

Anderson County - $200,000

Nashville and Davidson County - $200,000


Texas

Waco - $200,000

Vermont

Rutland Redevelopment Authority - $200,000

Virginia

Winchester - $250,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Washington

Port of Shelton - $200,000

Spokane - $200,000

West Virginia

Kanawha County - $200,000

Wisconsin

Delavan - $200,000



Arizona

Naco Fire District - $150,000

California

Gardena - $150,000

West Hollywood - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Colorado

Westminster - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds


Connecticut
New Milford - $150,000

Winsted - $150,000

Florida

Clearwater - $150,000

Escambia County - $150,000

Indiana

Hammond - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Iowa

Coralville - $100,000
Waterloo - $150,000

Louisiana

New Orleans - $150,000

Shreveport - $150,000

Maine

Lewiston - $150,000

Massachusetts

Marlborough - $150,000

Somerville - $150,000

Michigan

Downriver Community Conference - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Frankfort - $150,000

Saginaw - $150,000

Wayne County - $150,000

Minnesota

Hennepin County - $150,000

Minneapolis - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

St. Paul Port Authority - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Twin Cities Metropolitan Council - $150,000

Nebraska

Omaha - $150,000

New Hampshire

Nashua - $100,000

New Hampshire Office of State Planning - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

New Mexico

Bernalillo County - $150,000

New York

Niagara County - $150,000

Ulster County - $150,000

North Carolina

Wilmington-$100,000

Ohio

Toledo - $150,000

Oklahoma

Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments - $150,000

Oregon

Portland - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Pennsylvania

Bucks County - $150,000

Duquesne - $150,000

Johnstown - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Texas

Austin - $150,000

Utah

Ogden City - $200,000
Includes Greenspace Funds

Vermont

Windham Regional Commission - $150,000

Virginia

Newport News - $150,000

Washington

Port of Seattle - $150,000


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