U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman today announced a $600,000 grant to the City of South Bend and a $600,000 grant to the City of Plymouth to help redevelop contaminated brownfield sites. Hedman was joined by U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski and South Bend Deputy Mayor Mark Neal to announce the new brownfield grants -- totaling $1.2 million -- at Ignition Park, a former brownfield site that was cleaned up in 2011 and redeveloped with funding from EPA.
"These EPA grants are solid investments in the future of South Bend and Plymouth – that will help transform contaminated sites into redevelopment opportunities,” said Hedman. “South Bend’s new EPA grant will expand the City’s successful brownfield program and Plymouth’s grant will help to build a new brownfield redevelopment program.”
“This is great news for the cities of South Bend and Plymouth. Now, we’ll be able to clean up and redevelop contaminated areas and put them to good use as parks, housing or businesses that will create jobs and help revitalize our neighborhoods,” said Walorski.
South Bend will use this EPA funding to partner with St. Joseph County and the city of Mishawaka to assess contaminated property and to develop a brownfield inventory using a geographic information system designed to gather, store, analyze and manage nearly 200 brownfield sites.
“The brownfield grant represents a win-win for the environment, economy and people of South Bend,” said Deputy Mayor Neal. “This funding will improve the quality of life in many ways across our communities.”
Plymouth will use this EPA funding to partner with Marshall County and the town of Bourbon to assess contaminated property, develop a brownfield inventory and prioritize sites for future cleanups.
South Bend and Plymouth are two of the 171 communities receiving 2014 brownfield grants from EPA to clean up contaminated properties and boost local economies by redeveloping former brownfield sites.
