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U.S. EPA awards Arizona community $200,000 to assess Brownfields sites

Release Date: 04/08/2008
Contact Information: Margot Perez-Sullivan, 415-947-4149, [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today a $200,000 grant to Pima County for Brownfields assessments in Flowing Wells.

Flowing Wells, an unincorporated community in Pima County, has some of the last remaining commercially and industrially zoned land available for development in the region. Past uses and perceived contamination have hindered development. The EPA grant will be used to develop an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances, and support environmental site assessments.

"The EPA is very pleased to provide this funding for work in Pima County," said Debbie Schechter, manager of the EPA Pacific Southwest region’s Brownfields program. "Work conducted with our Brownfields program grants will provide the type of assistance necessary to transform these underutilized properties into community assets."

Communities and agencies in 43 states, two Tribal Nations and two territories will share over $74 million in Brownfields grants designed to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites and allow for productive community use.

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The EPA’s Brownfields program authorizes up to $250 million in grant funds annually and encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.

Since the beginning of the Brownfields program, EPA awarded 1255 assessment grants totaling over $298.6 million, 230 revolving loan fund grants totaling over $217.7 million, and 426 cleanup grants totaling $78.7 million.

For more information, please visit: http://epa.gov/brownfields/