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EPA awards brownfields grants to 11 Ohio communities

Release Date: 05/15/2006
Contact Information: Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, [email protected]; Anne Rowan, 312-353-9391, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA080

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has selected 11 Ohio communities and groups to receive 13 grants totaling $2.6 million to help redevelop brownfields.

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties where real or perceived environmental contamination has slowed redevelopment. Nationally, EPA announced $70 million in brownfields funding for 209 applicants.

"Brownfields redevelopment does much more than turn neighborhood eyesores into community assets," said EPA Region 5 Acting Administrator Bharat Mathur. "It also restores hope and creates opportunity."

Here is a summary of the Ohio brownfields grants:

Akron received a $200,000 grant to clean up brownfields with hazardous substances. The grant will target the former Imperial Electric Co. property on Ira Avenue, which for 100 years was used to manufacture electric motors and is now polluted with heavy metals and petroleum by-products.

Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp., Gahanna was selected for a $200,000 brownfields grant that will be used to clean up soil and underground water pollution at the Bedford I Landfill Section A on Claycraft Road.

Cleveland received a $200,000 brownfields grant to clean up the Land Bank Lot #92 on East 71st Street, which is contaminated with semi-volatile organic compounds and PCBs.

Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga County was awarded a $200,000 brownfields grant that will be used to perform up to 25 site assessments on properties around Cuyahoga County that may be contaminated with hazardous substances.

Cuyahoga County was selected to receive a pair of $200,000 brownfields assessment grants. Funds will be used to conduct environmental inspections on more than 20 sites.

Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Cleveland received a $200,000 grant to assess hazardous substances on the Dike 14 Nature Preserve along the southern shore of Lake Erie.

Hamilton won a $200,000 hazardous substances cleanup grant to work on the former Mercy Hospital site on Riverfront Plaza.

Kent was awarded a $200,000 brownfields assessment grant for conducting environmental inspections on up to 20 sites possibly contaminated with petroleum by-products.

Lincoln Heights Community Involvement Corp., was selected for a $200,000 brownfields cleanup grant that will be used to excavate and dispose of about 1,750 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the Anthony Wayne Industrial Park on Wayne Avenue.

Norwalk was selected for a $200,000 brownfields grant that will be used to assess up to 13 sites for possible petroleum contamination.

Toledo and Toledo/Lucas County Port Authority were awarded a pair of $200,000 grants to assess brownfields for possible hazardous substances site assessments, evaluate health risks for neighborhood community or petroleum contamination.

More information about the EPA brownfields program: epa.gov/brownfields/.