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EPA ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR FIVE SUPERFUND PILOT SITES IN THE SOUTHEASTTO RETURN CONTAMINATED PROPERTIES TO PRODUCTIVE USE

Release Date: 07/29/2002
Contact Information: Carl Terry (404) 562-8325

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that five communities in the Southeast have been chosen to receive funding to determine reuse options and redevelopment plans consistent with the cleanup plans of contaminated sites. The grants in the Southeast are part of $1.2 million being awarded to help 19 communities around the country. Working with communities to determine their preferred reuse of these properties is an integral part of the cleanup process and enables EPA to select the most appropriate cleanup remedies to ensure protection of people and the environment. Sites in the Southeast include Camilla, GA - the Camilla Wood Treating Superfund site; Fort Valley, GA - Woolfolk Chemical Co. Superfund site; Headland, AL - American Brass, Inc. Superfund site; Montgomery, AL - Capitol City Plume site; and Pensacola, FL - American Creosote Works Superfund site. EPA is committed to the cleanup and reuse of contaminated property across the country to minimize health risks and make communities safer, as well as to provide an engine that drives economic rebirth and financial regrowth. The Superfund Redevelopment Initiative makes it possible for communities to have a strong voice in local land use decisions that affect them. The 19 communities will use the $1.2 million to plan for a variety of activities such as housing, education and training centers, industrial parks, recreational facilities and service centers. Superfund redevelopment has existed throughout the United States for many years. Communities and other stakeholders have turned over 300 toxic waste sites into community assets. Over 15,000 on-site jobs have resulted from a variety of commercial and recreational uses including retail stores, office buildings, golf courses, transportation centers and sports complexes. These jobs have resulted in over $500 million in annual income. Many sites are being used for passive recreation including hiking trails, bike paths and parks, as well as ecological purposes such as wildlife preserves and wetlands. In fact, over 60,000 acres have been put into recreational and ecological use. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which started in 1999, already has contributed nearly $5 million in assistance and in-kind services to 50 communities across the country. Superfund redevelopment funds can be used for a variety of activities designed to identify anticipated future uses including: public outreach; facilitation, coordination and training efforts among community members and different levels of government on reusing Superfund sites; and developing reuse assessments and reuse plans. For more information about the Superfund Redevelopment Pilot Program, grant recipients, and a description of these new pilot projects visit EPAs web site at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/index.htm