EPA Set to Spend Millions for Projects and Job Training in Environmental Clean Up

Monday

Aug172009

August 17, 2009

Redevelopment image courtesy of Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, R.I.

In its continuing efforts to clean up America’s brownfields, the Environmental Protection Agency has just announced that it will award $55 million in supplemental funding to qualified loan/grant applicants, in addition to currently operating projects.

The agency also announced that it will provide about $6.8 million in funding to be invested to train workers to clean up brownfields sites, which may be contaminated by hazardous chemicals or pollutants. The goal is to turn these sites into revitalized and productive properties.

On the loan/grant funding side of things, the agency will provide revolving funds that will generally be used for low or no interest loans for brownfields cleanups.

So far this year, the agency has given 20 brownfields clean up grants to eligible recipients. Now, 42 new eligible grantees will receive supplemental funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and 18 grantees will receive funds under the EPA Brownfields general program.

Selected grantees must show capacities, including:

Shovel-ready projects that will expeditiously result in job creation.
An ability to track and measure their progress in creating jobs associated with the loans and subgrants.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson says that the agency “will monitor the progress of grant recipients to ensure the funds are spent productively and effectively, adding that, “these investments will help communities create good jobs for local workers, and clean up development sites for even more long-term economic opportunities.”

To facilitate job creation, the agency will award up to $500,000 each to government entities and nonprofits to help train residents living near brownfields sites in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Washington.

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