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Bernalillo County to Receive $200,000 for Brownfields Project

Release Date: 9/4/1998
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will award Bernalillo County $200,000 for a Brownfields pilot program at next week's County Commissioners meeting.

       Brownfields are abandoned industrial sites that are depriving communities of the opportunity to share in our nation's economic progress. Through the Brownfields program, the Administration is creating partnerships with government, business, community leaders and citizens to return these properties to the tax rolls, create jobs and restore a sense of community pride.

       Whether or not they are contaminated with industrial toxins, Brownfields are perceived to be contaminated. These properties do not qualify as Superfund sites because they do not pose a serious public health threat.

       Because of the stigma of the perceived contamination and legal barriers to redevelopment, businesses often do not buy these properties. They remain roped off, unproductive and vacant. Developers choose to locate in "green" areas outside the city, while the urban centers continue to deteriorate.

       Transforming Brownfields into hubs of economic activity creates new jobs, new revenue,  new opportunities and new hope for our nation's communities.

        When:     5:30 p.m.
                   Tuesday, September 8, 1998

        Where:    Bernalillo County Commissioners Chambers
                   Civic Plaza, Albuquerque