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EPA AWARDS NACO $150,000 FOR BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT

Release Date: 5/20/2002
Contact Information: Wendy L. Chavez, Press Office, 415/947-4248

SAN FRANCISCO B The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the city of Naco, Ariz. a $150,000 grant today that will allow local officials to clean up and revitalize underused, abandoned A brownfields.

Naco officials will use the funding to redevelop three sites in an area likely to be contaminated by wastewater due to flooding from Mexico, cattle processing operations, or runnoff from a copper mine.

The EPA gave the city an initial $200,000 brownfields grant in 1999.

In Naco, the city will assess possible environmental contamination and conduct cleanup planning at the site of Naco = s new middle school that may have copper mine tailings on site, new border crossing facility for foot traffic, shops and transportation service facilities, and expanded recreational areas.

A This funding will allow local officials to continue to assess abandoned properties in three areas of the community, said EPA Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri. A We hope this funding helps boost redevelopment in areas that have been stymied by real or perceived contamination. @

The EPA announced 38 new grants nationwide today B with funding totalling $7.95 million B that fund the assessment of brownfields properties. The assessment pilots empower states, cities, towns, counties and tribes to work together to assess and encourage cleanup of brownfields properties in order to promote their sustainable reuse. In addition to the Gardena and West Hollywood grants, 40 communities received supplemental funding totaling $6.65 million to continue or expand their existing brownfields program.

Since its inception, the EPA = s Brownfields Program has contributed over $280 million in pilots and grants to spur assessment, cleanup and redevelopment at sites throughout the country. To date, every federal dollar spent on brownfields has leveraged over twice that amount in private investment. The EPA = s Brownfields program has leveraged over $4 billion in public and private investments that have turned abandoned industrial properties into thriving economic centers, useful recreational areas and beneficial open spaces.

"Reclaiming America = s brownfields properties is an effective way to help revitalize and reinvigorate our nation= s blighted neighborhoods while at the same time preventing urban sprawl, @ said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. A Brownfields reclamation is one of the great environmental success stories of the past decade.@

Whitman continued. A But the story is hardly over. EPA and its partners in every state of the union are ready to write the next chapter in the brownfields story. Given the commitment of this Administration, I can guarantee you that story will have a very happy ending.@

Earlier this year, President Bush signed bipartisan legislation that will encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of old industrial properties B cleaning up our environment, creating jobs and protecting small businesses from frivolous lawsuits. In addition, the President's FY 03 budget request doubled the funds available through the EPA in FY 02 -- from $98 million to $200 million -- to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites.

For further information about the EPA = s Brownfields program go to http:// www.epa.gov/brownfields.