EPA, state and local leaders celebrate Brownfields Grant for redevelopment in Brunswick, Darien and Statesboro?
BRUNSWICK, Georgia – RealEstateRama – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state and local leaders celebrated a $1.2 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant to the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia for redevelopment projects in Brunswick, Darien and Statesboro.
“Georgia’s coastal communities have so much redevelopment potential, and it is a priority of this administration to support communities in cleaning up and redeveloping properties that can be transformed into something special,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Kevin McOmber. “The Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant is a starting point for projects like the Brunswick Shipyard, a site used during World War II for shipbuilding. This site, once cleanup is complete, will again benefit the community and the economy.”
“EPA’s grant funding will allow the Coastal Regional Commission and its coalition members to better position brownfield properties towards reuse and redevelopment, said Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Jeff Cown. “This will revitalize the local economies and ultimately improve the lives of those in the most rural areas of Georgia.”
“We recognize the innovation and industrial ingenuity of yester-years,” said Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia Executive Director Dionne Lovett. “However, as older commercial and industrial sites outlive their useful purpose, they are often left abandoned for fear of lingering contamination. Abandoned sites can be dangerous or become eyesores in our communities. This Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant allows us to re-assess when feasible, remediate where possible and provide opportunities for reuse or redevelopment of abandoned sites into useful spaces in our communities.”
“This grant will help revitalize the City of Brunswick by funding environmental assessments of contaminated properties, potentially leading to new jobs, economic development, and improved public health,” said Brunswick Mayor Cosby H. Johnson.
The Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia will lead the Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant to conduct 20 Phase I and 15 Phase II environmental site assessments. Funds also will be used to support reuse assessment, planning and community engagement activities. Priority sites include Brunswick Shipyard, an abandoned shipyard with historical significance, a 152-acre former chemical plant that closed in 2023, a former shopping center that closed in 2018 and a former dry cleaner that closed in the 1970s.
BACKGROUND:
EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, Tribal Nations, communities and other stakeholders to work together to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfield sites. A brownfield site is a property that cannot be redeveloped to its full potential because of the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2018, helps states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance through five competitive grant programs: Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, Cleanup Grants and Job Training Grants.
Contact Information
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