E.P.A. Brownfields Grants will help revitalize Pittsburgh properties

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 24, 2015) - The E.P.A. today announced the award of $400,000 in brownfields grants to Pittsburgh's North Side Industrial Development Company (NSIDC). The backing will be used to assess abandoned industrial sites in Pittsburgh that may be potentially contaminated with hazardous substances so that they can be cleaned up and redeveloped.

Brownfields are properties where real or suspected environmental contamination has prevented productive reuse of those properties.

"This backing will help NSIDC and the city of Pittsburgh reclaim properties that have been unused for years and turn those sites into assets for the community, the environment and the economy," said E.P.A. Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. "Brownfields initiatives demonstrate how environmental protection and economic development work hand-in-hand."

Regional Administrator Garvin made the announcement at the Homewood Station Senior Apartments, 7202 Susquehanna Street in Pittsburgh, which is a former brownfields location that was assessed with a previous E.P.A. grant to NSIDC. With this additional $400,000, E.P.A. has provided NSIDC with $5 million in E.P.A. brownfields grants since 2005 to support cleanup and redevelopment projects.

NSIDC, a nonprofit corporation, operates to promote the economic and community development of the North Side of the city of Pittsburgh and other areas in southwestern Pennsylvania. The corporation works to enhance communities through job creation, physical improvement, and other community improvements.

EPA's backing announced today includes 2 grants for $200,000 each. One grant will be used to assess properties for potential petroleum contamination and the other will be used to assess properties for other hazardous substances. Grant funds will also be used for community outreach. These grants were among 243 brownfields grants totaling $54.3 million that E.P.A. awarded nationwide this year.

For information about environmental assessment grants: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/assessment_grants.htm.

For a list of all brownfields grants by state: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/.

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