DALLAS - (Sept. 23, 2015) The E.P.A. (EPA) is awarding $350,000 in supplemental backing to clean contaminated sites in Pulaski County, Ark. The Co. projects to use the backing to clean Full Counsel and Sterling building sites.
"Just last week, I was in Little Rock for the unveiling of a revived Main Street as a Creative Corridor where Brownfields played a part in over $100 Million investment by private development," said E.P.A. regional administrator Ron Curry. "These additional funds will help return other areas across Little Rock to valuable community assets."
E.P.A. is also awarding supplemental backing to 30 other Revolving Loan Backing (RLF) grantees. The plans will help 44 communities carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects. These plans will help communities create jobs while protecting people's health and the environment. Many of the RLF cleanups are in under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
"The partnership between Pulaski Co. and E.P.A. has resulted in 419,000 sq. ft of remediated area, created 200 jobs, and added $38 million to the economy," said Fredrick Love, director Pulaski Co. Community Services. "This partnership also resulted in the honoring of an investment in the social capital of our community with the 2014 Phoenix Award for the Our House Children Center, demonstrating how you can strengthen the social fabric of a community while impacting the local economy and protecting the environment."
RLFs supply Backing for loans and sub-grants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When these loans are repaid, the loan amount is then returned to the fund and re-loaned to other borrowers, providing an ongoing sustainable source of capital within a community for additional cleanup of brownfield sites. The supplemental Backing to each grantee ranges from about $$200,000 to $700,000.
E.P.A. continues to engage and help new communities address barriers to redeveloping sites which are plaguing their communities. To date, RLF grantees have completed over 400 cleanups, leveraged approximately 15,000 jobs and over $5 billion of public and private funding.
There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites in the United States. EPA's Brownfields plan targets these sites to encourage redevelopment, and help to provide the opportunity for productive community use of contaminated properties.
More information on EPA's Brownfields program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
More information on Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grants: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/rlflst.htm
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Activities in E.P.A. Region 6: http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central
