Lawrence County Receives $500K Brownfields Assessment Grant
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – The Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation was awarded a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The LCEDC will use the funds to update and maintain brownfield site inventory, prioritize sites and conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, a news release states.
The funds also will be used to develop reuse plans and cleanup plans and support community engagement activities. The LCEDC will target brownfield properties throughout the city of New Castle, focusing its assessment efforts on sites with the highest potential for reuse, the release states.
“Lawrence County has a rich industrial history, and many of these properties are plagued with environmental issues preventing their return to viable use,” said Ben Bush, executive director of Forward Lawrence – Chamber and Economic Alliance. “We thank the EPA for their award and look forward to beginning the assessment process along with our partners at the city of New Castle and Lawrence County.”
The EPA on Monday announced more than $300 million in grant awards to help states, tribal nations, local governments and nonprofit organizations assess and clean up polluted brownfield sites across the country.
The investments through the EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Grant programs and Revolving Loan Fund Grant program aim to transform once-polluted, vacant and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
In total, 178 communities will receive 181 grant awards totaling $231 million through EPA’s MAC Grant programs. The EPA also announced $68 million in supplemental funding for 31 existing, high-performing brownfields RLF Grant programs, as well as the selection of Grow America, an RLF Technical Assistance provider, for an estimated $3 million in grant funding.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
