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EPA Awards $200,000 Brownfields Pilot Grant To PRPA

Release Date: 07/15/1998
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(#98082) San Juan, Puerto Rico -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today awarded a $200,000 grant to the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) to launch a Brownfields pilot project on several of its properties in the Commonwealth. The Ports Authority will use the funds to identify and assess contaminated sites for cleanup and redevelopment. Vice President Al Gore announced this and other national Brownfields pilot grant recipients at a press conference held today in Washington, DC at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

The goal of the national Brownfields program is to restore industrial and commercial properties where actual or perceived environmental contamination has hindered redevelopment or expansion. The Brownfields grants, which require extensive community involvement, empower local governments across the country to compile data and develop strategies for realizing this goal.

"These Brownfields projects make environmental and economic sense," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Region 2 Administrator. "These projects help protect pristine areas in Puerto Rico by encouraging redevelopment of areas that have already lost some of their environmental value. The success of the Brownfields program is proof positive that environmental health and economic strength are not mutually exclusive goals."

The PRPA is a Puerto Rican government corporation that oversees the management, operation, and development of maritime and aviation facilities across the island. Today, many acres under Ports Authority control are abandoned, primarily due to continuing uncertainty over the extent of contamination at these sites and associated cleanup liability concerns.

The Brownfields grant will help the Ports Authority identify sites for redevelopment, perform environmental assessments, and develop cleanup plans. The final goals are to redevelop Brownfields, stimulate job growth, and enhance transport and shipping opportunities. The Brownfields project, which will involve an extensive community outreach program, will also ensure that redeveloped sites remain active and sustainable. These efforts will complement the Ports Authority's Environmental, Health, and Safety Comprehensive Management Program.

Since 1995, EPA has provided $42 million in grants for 228 pilots, allowing communities nationwide to begin the process of redeveloping brownfields. This year alone, EPA will expand the program nationally with 71 new Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots. In September 1997, the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) received the first Brownfields grant to be awarded in Puerto Rico.

For more information contact:
Mary Mears, Press Office
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
NY, NY 10007-1866
Voice: 212-637-3669 FAX: 212-637-5046 E-Mail: mears.mary@epamail.epa.gov