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Montrose (Colo.) receives $400K to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites

Release Date: 06/11/2014
Contact Information: Danny Heffernan, U.S. EPA, 303-312-7074; Richard Mylott, U.S. EPA, 303-312-6654; Kerwin Jensen, City of Montrose, 970-240-1478

EPA Brownfields grant to help address contamination at abandoned electric plant and metals processing facility along Uncompahgre River

(Denver, Colo. – May 28, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that the City of Montrose, Colorado will receive a $400K Brownfields grant to assess, clean up and redevelop properties in targeted areas in downtown Montrose.

The City of Montrose will use the EPA Brownfields funds to assess several properties impacted by hazardous materials and petroleum compounds, including the abandoned Bullock Steam Electric Plant and the ReclaMetals site. Both sites, which encompass nearly 20 acres, are directly adjacent to the Uncompahgre Riverway and in close proximity to residential areas and parks. Suspected contaminants at these sites include polyaromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, asbestos, lead-based paint, and sulfur compounds.

Additional industrial properties targeted for assessment include railroad and fuel and oil storage facilities within the city limits. Grant funds will be used to develop an inventory of brownfields, prepare cleanup plans, and conduct community outreach activities. These efforts will help the City prioritize the cleanup and redevelopment of sites and accelerate their reuse by providing accessible information to developers.

Montrose is among 171 communities nationwide receiving 264 grants totaling $67 million in brownfields funding to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. The 2014 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants will give communities and businesses a chance to return economic stability to under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods through the assessment and clean-up of abandoned industrial and commercial properties, places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.

“EPA Brownfields funds continue to help Colorado communities get blighted and contaminated properties back into productive use," said Shaun McGrath, EPA’s regional administrator in Denver. “These projects will create new community assets and leverage investments that create jobs and opportunities.”

Since the inception of the EPA’s Brownfields program in 1995, cumulative brownfield program investments have leveraged more than $21 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per EPA brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in approximately 93,000 jobs nationwide. These projects demonstrate the positive impact a small investment of federal brownfields funding can have on community revitalization through leveraging jobs, producing clean energy, and providing recreation opportunities for surrounding neighborhoods. EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.

More information on brownfields grants by state: https://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/

More information on EPA’s brownfields:

Program https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Success Stories https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm
Benefits https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview/Brownfields-Benefits-postcard.pdf