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EPA Gives Fort Edward a Boost with a Brownfields Grant

Release Date: 08/28/2006
Contact Information: Ben Barry, (212) 637-3651 or barry.benjamin@epa.gov

(New York, NY ) EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg today presented a check for $200,000 to the Town of Fort Edward for a brownfields grant that will help assess sites in the community. Fort Edward will be able to use the grant funds to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement related to brownfields sites in the area, including old industrial sites along the Hudson River, many of which block access to the River. The town plans to develop the sites along the river to include residential and commercial facilities and recreational green space.

“EPA brownfields grants continue to build on decades of environmental improvement and economic gains,” said Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “Brownfields grants help communities turn problem properties into community assets, putting both people and property back to work.”

The brownfields program enables EPA to provide communities the tools they need to address these sites, including sites impacted by petroleum, that present relatively low risks to people’s health. Four competitive grants programs provide funding to eligible applicants for brownfields assessments, cleanups, revolving loan funds, and job training. In addition to industrial and commercial redevelopment, brownfields assistance has led to the conversion of industrial waterfronts to riverfront parks, landfills to golf courses, rail corridors to recreational trails, and gas stations to housing.

To date, EPA has awarded nationally 883 assessment grants totaling $225.4 million, 202 revolving loan fund grants totaling $186.7 million, and 238 cleanup grants totaling $42.7 million. EPA brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $8.2 billion in private investment, helped create 37,525 jobs and resulted in the assessment of 8,374 properties and the cleanup of 93 properties.

For more information, please visit the EPA Brownfields web site: www.epa.gov/region02/brownfields

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