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Garland Receives $200,000 from EPA for Redevelopment

Release Date: 9/9/2003
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Mayor Day and the city of Garland for joining an elite group of brownfields grant recipients.   Garland is one of three Texas communities to join EPA in promoting redevelopment of brownfields sites -- places where environmental contamination or the perception of contamination has complicated redevelopment opportunities.

      EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said, "This grant is among the first nationwide to be awarded under the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act signed by President Bush.  The landmark legislation is helping communities across our states transform neighborhood eyesores into community assets.  At EPA, we recognize that cleanup is an important first step to making these abandoned properties available to the community, to provide jobs, needed tax revenues and recreational benefits that were not there before.  Brownfields restoration is a win-win for everyone."

      Garland will use its $200,000 grant to assess sites in the eastern and southwestern portions of the city and develop an inventory of known and potential brownfields properties.

      For every acre of brownfields that is restored, more than 4.5 acres of green space is preserved.  Every dollar of federal money spent on a brownfields site leverages about $2.50 in private investment. The brownfields program also funds state and local governments through cleanup revolving loan fund pilots and job training pilots. These programs provide states, tribes, municipalities and communities useful information and strategies to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties.

      Cities interested in joining this elite group of grant recipients will have another opportunity to apply in November.  More information about EPA's brownfields program is available at https://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/index.html.