PHILADELPHIA – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing its award of $250,000 in additional brownfields funding to support revitalization efforts underway in Charles Town, W. Va. Today’s funding, through the Brownfields Revolving Loan program, will allow the city to expand its cleanup activities to the Public Works Yard site which is adjacent to an existing brownfield cleanup at the former Supertane plant.
"Last year, I joined many partners in recognizing this area’s successful revitalization efforts which are turning former industrial sites into assets that benefit the community,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Today’s additional funding will help sustain Charles Town’s exemplary progress.”
In 2012, EPA awarded its first Brownfields Revolving Loan fund to Charles Town for $650,000. Much of these original funds support the clean up and transformation of the former Supertane manufactured gas plant site. The site will become the new Evitts Run Conservancy which will include recreational green space, public parkland, and stormwater runoff control along Evitts Run Creek. Now, Charles Town can expand brownfields cleanup to begin addressing the Public Works Yard site.
EPA’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides recipients -- including state and local governments, municipalities, and regional councils and redevelopment agencies -- loans and sub-grants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When these loans are repaid, those dollars can then be re-loaned to other borrowers providing an ongoing source of capital for brownfields cleanup.
Today’s award to Charles Town is one of 31 grantees nationwide who are receiving a total of $11 million in funding to further brownfield cleanup.
Nationwide, there are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites. EPA targets these sites to encourage redevelopment, and help provide the opportunity for productive community use of contaminated properties.
For every brownfields grant dollar spent, EPA’s investments have leveraged $17.79 resulting in a total of $21 million leveraged. The funds have enabled the support of 97,500 jobs in cleanup, construction and redevelopment.
