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News Releases from Region 04

Eleven Communities in North Carolina Receive Approximately $3.4 Million in Brownfield Grants to Return Blighted Properties to Productive Reuse and Promote Economic Redevelopment

04/25/2018
Contact Information: 
Tondia Reese (reese.tondia@epa.gov)
(404) 562-8223 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main)

ATLANTA (April 25, 2018) – Today the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected 144 communities, including eleven in North Carolina, for Brownfields Environmental Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grants. In total, 221 grants totaling $54.3 million will provide communities with funding to assess, clean up and redevelop underutilized properties while protecting public health and the environment. Of this total, approximately $8.9 million went to 36 communities in the southeast.

“EPA’s Brownfields Program expands the ability of communities to recycle vacant and abandoned properties for new, productive reuses, using existing infrastructure" said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "These grants leverage other public and private investments, and improve local economies through property cleanup and redevelopment.”


“Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup grants target communities that are economically disadvantaged and provide assistance where environmental cleanup and new job opportunities are needed,” said Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn. “These funds mean a great deal to these communities.”

“The NC Brownfields Program is focused on helping rural communities as much as possible, and we have seen that these EPA Brownfields Grants are an ideal economic development tool for them, said Brownfields Program Manager Bruce Nicholson for NCDEQ’s Division of Waste Management.  “We are excited to see that eight of the eleven grantees are in this rural sector. These grant funds will truly help transform the awardees’ visions into the brick, mortar, and jobs that will mean so much to these communities in need."

The following communities in North Carolina will receive funding for community-wide Brownfields assessment activities and cleanup planning:

  • Columbus County, NC - $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, cleanup and reuse planning activities.
  • Durham, NC - $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, cleanup and reuse planning activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Alston Avenue/ Fayetteville Street corridor, and the Erwin Road/ Lakewood Avenue corridor.
  • Kingston, NC - $195,000 in petroleum grants funds will be used to clean up the former Harvey Oil Site. Grant funds also will be used for community outreach activities.
  • Lenoir, NC - $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, cleanup and redevelopment plans. Assessment activities will focus on the Larinco and Fairfield South neighborhoods, and the city’s Downtown District.
  • Lincolnton, NC - $300,000 ($150,000 for hazardous substances and $150,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities, including the development of a community involvement plan and one community visioning charrette.
  • Piedmont Triad Regional Council, Mayodan Thomasville, and Winston-Salem, NC

 -  $600,000 ($300,000 for hazardous substances and $300,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities.

  • Robbins, NC - $200,000 in petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up the former Robbins Mill-Smokestack parcel located at 200 South Kennedy Street. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities.
  • Salisbury, NC - $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on Census Tract 520.
  • Siler City, NC - $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities. Also, grant funds will be used to create an inventory of brownfields sites compatible with the town’s GIS database. Assessment activities will focus on the Norfolk Southern Railroad Corridor, and the U.S. Highway 64 corridor.
  • Washington, NC - $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities. Grant funds of also will be used to develop an inventory of Brownfields sites.

The Brownfields Program targets communities that are economically disadvantaged and provides funding and assistance to transform blighted sites into assets that can generate jobs and spur economic growth. A study analyzing 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these brownfield sites. Furthermore, another study found that property values of homes located near brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15 percent after cleanup.

In addition, communities can use Brownfields funding to leverage water infrastructure loans and other financial resources. For example, EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund can be used, under certain conditions, to address the water quality aspects of brownfield sites and the assessment and construction of drinking water infrastructure on brownfields, respectively. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program may also serve as a potential source of long-term, low-cost supplemental financing to fund brownfields project development and implementation activities to address water quality aspects of brownfields.


List of the FY 2018 Applicants Selected for Funding: 

https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy18-brownfields-assessment-revolving-loan-fund-and-cleanup-grants

For more information on the ARC grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

For more information on how brownfields restoration has positively impacted local economies and the quality of life for neighboring communities: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-success-stories