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Three New Jersey Cities Get a Boost

Release Date: 04/07/2008
Contact Information: Beth Totman (212) 637-3662, totman.elizabeth@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a total of $1.2 million to assess and clean up abandoned and potentially contaminated sites in Newark, Jersey City and Camden. The grants were awarded under EPA’s brownfields program, which helps communities clean up, redevelop, or reuse facilities that range from major industrial sites to small facilities or old gas stations.

“With the help of these grants, not only will parts of Newark, Camden and Jersey City be revitalized, but the state of New Jersey will get a boost as well,” said Alan J. Steinberg, Regional Administrator. “EPA’s brownfields grants are set up to help nurture the growth of communities and we are proud to help these three cities.”

The recipients of brownfields grants in New Jersey and the details of the grants are the following:

· The city of Newark will receive two grants totaling $400,000 to assess local brownfields sites impacted by hazardous substances and petroleum contamination.

· Camden Redevelopment Agency will receive $400,000 in the form of two brownfields petroleum cleanup grants. The petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up two lots at the former Tire and Battery Site located at 1350 Admiral Wilson Boulevard, where there are 11 abandoned underground storage tanks on site, as well as other equipment associated with the site’s use as an automotive center. The funds will also be used for disposal of tons of petroleum-contaminated soil and for short-term ground water cleanup on part of the property.

· Jersey City Redevelopment Agency will receive two grants, one $200,000 grant to assess sites potentially contaminated with hazardous substances and another $200,000 grant to assess abandoned gas stations.

The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites. This year, across the nation, 194 assessment grants totaling $38.7 million were granted as well as 108 cleanup grants worth $19.6 million. EPA provides grants for assessment and cleanup of hazardous substances, revolving loan fund grants and job training grants. In addition to industrial and commercial redevelopment, brownfields have helped convert industrial properties to parks, landfills to golf courses, rail corridors to recreational trails and gas stations to housing. As of January 31, 2008, EPA’s brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $10.4 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding and 47,201 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment.

Information on grant recipients can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/08arc/alpha.htm. For general information on brownfields and how EPA is helping transform communities, visit: https://www.epa.gov/region02/brownfields.

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