City of Sheridan (Wyo.) gains $400K to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites in North Main Street area

Abandoned stockyards and sawmill among sites targeted for assessment and cleanup

(Denver, Colo. - May 28, 2014) The E.P.A. (EPA) announced today that the City of Sheridan will gain a $400K E.P.A. Brownfields grant to assess, clean up and redevelop properties in the North Main Street area.

The City of Sheridan will use the E.P.A. Brownfields funds to assess hazardous waste and petroleum contamination at in excess of a dozen properties in a downtown corridor containing several abandoned or underutilized properties where known and potential contamination is hindering economic redevelopment. These properties include a former stockyards, an abandoned sawmill, railroad and fuel storage facilities, and warehouses. Potential contaminants include heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, petroleum compounds, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The City will also prepare an inventory of brownfields, develop cleanup plans, and conduct community outreach activities.

The City will use the E.P.A. grant to develop projects to integrate property cleanup activities with the community's vision for revitalizing the North Main Street Corridor. These projects include creating new housing and business opportunities in the area as well as parks and open space.

The City of Sheridan is among 171 communities nationwide receiving 264 grants totaling $67 million in brownfields backing to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. The 2014 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants will give communities and businesses a chance to return economic stability to under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods through the assessment and clean-up of abandoned industrial and commercial properties, places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.

"EPA Brownfields funds continue to help Wyoming communities get blighted and contaminated sites back into productive use," said Shaun McGrath, EPA's regional administrator in Denver. "These plans will create new community assets and leverage investments that create jobs and opportunities."

Since the inception of the EPA's Brownfields plan in 1995, cumulative brownfield plan investments have leveraged in excess of $21 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per E.P.A. brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in approximately 93,000 jobs nationwide. These plans demonstrate the positive impact a small investment of federal brownfields backing can have on community revitalization through leveraging jobs, producing clean energy, and providing recreation opportunities for surrounding neighborhoods. EPA's Brownfields Plan empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.

More information on brownfields grants by state: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/

More information on EPA's brownfields:

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