E.P.A. Provides $200,000 to Camden, New Jersey to Support Assessment, Cleanup and Reuse of Contaminated Properties

(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. announced today it is providing $200,000 to the City of Camden
Redevelopment Agency in Camden, New Jersey to create a project for revitalizing the Mt. Ephraim Choice Neighborhood. This backing
is part of EPA's Brownfields Area-Wide Planning program, which helps communities develop specific strategies that integrate the
cleanup and reuse of brownfields sites in larger, coordinated efforts to revitalize neighborhoods. Brownfields are properties where
moderate contamination threatens environmental quality and public health and can interfere with productive reuse of the properties.

"This E.P.A. backing to Camden empowers community leaders to assess, clean up and revitalize formerly contaminated sites and their impacted neighborhoods through a locally-driven planning process," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "This comprehensive approach will help create jobs while protecting the health of area residents and improving the environment."

The Camden Redevelopment Agency will use the E.P.A. backing to transform the Mt. Ephraim Choice Neighborhood in Camden into a revitalized, mixed-use and sustainable community for residents at a variety of income levels. They will develop a detailed project to create and rehabilitate housing, attract new businesses and rehabilitate or demolish existing blighted buildings. Multiple city agencies, community groups and other organizations have worked together to leverage these funds with a 2012 Housing and Urban Development Choice Planning Grant. The area-wide plan will build on past planning efforts by focusing on brownfields and including job skills training, health care, and community engagement activities.

The EPA's Brownfields Plan supports states, communities, and others to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields sites. The Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Plan is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities collaboration among EPA, the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The Partnership for Sustainable Communities ensures that the agencies consider affordable housing, transportation, and environmental protection in concert to create healthier communities. The partnership is helping communities across the country to create affordable housing choices, make transportation more efficient and reliable, reinforce existing infrastructure investments, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses. To date the Plan has leveraged approximately $418 million in infrastructure and plan development investments.

More information on the grant recipients: http://epa.gov/brownfields/areawide_grants.htm

More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/

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