(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. is providing $400,000 to Neptune Township, New Jersey, to assess abandoned and contaminated properties. The backing was awarded through the EPA's Brownfields program, which helps communities assess, clean up and reuse contaminated properties. Brownfields are properties with moderate contamination which can threaten environmental quality and public health and can interfere with redevelopment.
"Local governments need help in dealing with abandoned properties that may contain toxic substances and which often lead to neighborhood blight," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "This E.P.A. backing will support work already being done in Neptune, New Jersey, to clean up and revitalize properties so they are community assets and not eyesores."
Neptune will use a $200,000 community-wide hazardous substance assessment grant and a $200,000 community-wide petroleum assessment grant to determine the nature and extent of environmental contamination at at least eleven sites throughout the township. These assessments will support redevelopment in vacant land, including sites included in the West Lake Avenue Redevelopment Plan. The funds will also be used to determine the public health and environmental impacts of these sites, and to support community outreach activities.
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 nearly $18 leveraged for every E.P.A. brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in creating 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. The EPA's Brownfields Plan empowers states, communities, and others to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.
Additional information on E.P.A. Brownfields activities is accessible at
http://epa.gov/brownfields.
Follow E.P.A. Region two on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and Facebook at
http://facebook.com/eparegion2.
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