U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced on Thursday more than $2 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for revitalization projects across the state. Over $2.6 million in Brownfield Grants will help to create assessments, clean up and revitalize a number of former industrial, commercial or other infrastructure sites that are currently vacant, environmental danger zones.
Besides cleaning up environmental contamination, the revitalized sites also offer a new chance for economic growth in an area and can make a powerful difference in a community – Atlantic Station in Atlanta is a great example. Or the entire riverfront in Chattanooga. The Georgia grants are part of $267 million of this type of grant nationwide.
“These federal funds will help our state get back on track by helping assess and eventually transform what are now uninhabitable areas, further strengthening Georgia’s economy,” said Warnock.
The program began in 1995 and has proved nearly $3 billion in grants across the country. These sites have been able to leverage that funding into an additional $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment.
The largest single grant in Georgia is for the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia, which will receive $1.2 million for 20 Phase 1 and 50 Phase II environmental assessments, reuse assessments and other planning. These grants go well beyond the Savannah area, targeted to Darien, Brunswick and Statesboro. With the development crunch occurring along the coast from the quickly expanding Georgia Ports Authority and a rapidly expanding population, the assessments will help to balance the needs of the region with the environment.
Atlanta and the City of South Fulton will each receive $500,000, for 13 Phase 1 and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments between them. In Atlanta, these assessments will target the Chattahoochee Riverfront, Proctor Creek and Jonesboro Road – long either neglected or blighted areas, with a side of heavy industry along Proctor Creek and Jonesboro Road. Down in South Fulton, the Red Oak and Old National Highway districts will be targeted for assessment.
Lastly, the city of Ideal, Georgia – population of less than 500 in Macon County, will receive more than $400,000 to clean up a former elementary school that has been vacant since 1981. Ideal was so named by railroad executives who decided it was an “ideal” place for a railroad stop around the turn of the 20th century. In a county where the county seat has less than 1,000 people, extra local funding is near impossible and the grant will help to fund what has probably been a point of discussion in the community for more than 30 years.
“Above all this is about our communities’ health. No family in Georgia should live in fear of contaminants in their communities,” said Ossoff. “That’s why Senator Warnock and I are delivering these historic public health and environmental cleanup efforts across the state.”
