The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing the city of Chattanooga with $500,000 to clean up contaminated brownfield sites, property in which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse might be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
Nationally, $11.6 million in funding will be provided to 27 communities that have demonstrated success in using their previously awarded Brownfields Revolving Loan Funding grants to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites.
“Many of the brownfields cleanups supported by EPA’s Revolving Loan Funding are in economically disadvantaged communities where environmental cleanup and jobs are needed most,” says Carlton Waterhouse, deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. “This supplemental funding will help sustain and increase the progress these communities have made in cleaning up brownfields sites, while also helping them become stronger, healthier and more economically competitive.”
The city of Chattanooga has executed six loans and one subgrant and has performed multiple cleanups in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Upcoming projects with supplemental funds include the Standard Coosa Thatcher Project and the cleanup of the Old Trotter School Site.
The Standard Coosa Thatcher Project will lead to the redevelopment of mixed income housing units. After the cleanup of the Old Trotter School Site is complete, a 240-affordable housing unit apartment structure is planned.
Brownfield RLF grants enable funding for communities to provide loans and subgrants for cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned into the fund and then loaned to other borrowers.
To date, EPA’s RLF grantees across the country have completed 794 cleanups and attracted approximately 48,000 jobs and $16.2 billion in public and private funding.
The supplemental funds will help communities keep the cleanup momentum going so more cleanups can be completed. Each grantee will receive from $200,000 to $500,000.
Since 1995, EPA’s Brownfields Program has provided nearly $1.6 billion in brownfield grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse.
To date, these brownfields investments have leveraged more than $34.5 billion in cleanup and redevelopment in communities across the country.
Over the years, the investment of federal funding has leveraged, from both public and private sources, more than 176,800 jobs.
Source: EPA