News Releases from Region 03

EPA Brownfields Funding Announced for Western Pennsylvania

Funding for brownfields assessment and cleanup included in President Trump’s Budget

WASHINGTON (May 31, 2017) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected 172 communities across the country including communities in western Pennsylvania that will receive funding for brownfields site revitalization to help local governments redevelop vacant and unused properties, transforming communities and local economies.

“EPA is committed to working with communities to redevelop Brownfields sites which have plagued their neighborhoods. EPA’s Assessment and Cleanup grants target communities that are economically disadvantaged and include places where environmental cleanup and new jobs are most needed,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “These grants leverage considerable infrastructure and other investments, improving local economies and creating an environment where jobs can grow. I am very pleased the President’s budget recognizes the importance of these grants by providing continued funding for this important program.”

The following communities and organizations in western Pennsylvania will receive funding:  

• Northside Industrial Development Company, Pittsburgh - $600,000 to conduct environmental site assessments and support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on Clairton, Hazelwood, Larimer/Homewood, Manchester, and McKees Rocks/Stowe.
   
• Washington County Redevelopment Authority - $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and support community outreach. Assessment activities will focus on 21 municipalities in the Monongahela River Valley.
   
• Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority - $600,000 to conduct environmental site assessments and support community outreach. Assessment activities will focus on the cities of Jeannette and Latrobe and the Borough of Mount Pleasant.
   
• Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments - $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans and support community outreach. Assessment activities will focus on the area from West Homestead Borough to Forward Township along the Monongahela River, and from North Braddock Borough to Pitcairn and Wall Boroughs along Turtle Creek.
   
• Borough of Greenville, Mercer County - $300,000 to conduct environmental site assessments and support community outreach.                                                       

View the list of the FY 2017 applicants selected for funding here:  https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-list-fy17-grants-selected-funding

Overview of the funds being announced today:

• $25 million to communities who are receiving assessment and cleanup funding for the first time
• $17.5 million of the assessment and cleanup funding will benefit small and rural communities with populations less than 10,000
• Recipients will each receive approximately $200,000 - $600,000 in funding to work on individual sites or several sites within their community
• These funds will provide communities with resources necessary to determine the extent of site contamination, remove environmental uncertainties and clean up contaminated properties where needed.

Studies have shown that residential property values near brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15.2 percent and can increase property values within a one-mile radius of that site. A study analyzing data near 48 brownfield sites shows that an estimated $29 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 those brownfields.

As of May 2017, more than 124,759 jobs and $24 billion of public and private funding has been leveraged as a result of assessment grants and other EPA Brownfields grants. On average, $16.11 was leveraged for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 8.5 jobs leveraged per $100,000 of EPA brownfields funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements

About EPA’s brownfields program: https://epa.gov/brownfields

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