Manchin, Rockefeller, Rahall Announce $1 Million to Assess, Clean Up and Redevelop West Virginia Communities
Funding will boost local economies while protecting public health and the environment
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller, along with Congressman Nick Rahall, announced that communities across West Virginia will receive a total of $1 million in funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants program to clean up and redevelop sites where environmental improvements and new jobs are needed. The Brownfields program’s assessment and clean-up of unused and underused properties, such as industrial and commercial properties, will give communities and businesses a chance to boost economic stability and create job opportunities.
“It is simply common sense to invest in projects that that will put hardworking West Virginians back to work while also revitalizing our communities that need upgrades and improvements,” Senator Manchin said. “This program will provide the necessary resources to revive sites that have been abandoned or contaminated and use them to create new opportunities for West Virginia communities and businesses. It’s a win-win for all involved.”
“Restoring and cleaning up brownfields is an important part of building up our state for the future,” Senator Rockefeller said. “This grant funding is an investment toward making our neighborhoods safer for residents, and it will help us restore land in such a way that it will become an asset, rather than a liability for our communities. Ultimately, this funding will help promote industrial and commercial redevelopment, while also creating jobs and stimulating local economies.”
“These brownfields funds will help to ensure that developable sites in these counties are clean and safe and ready to attract new jobs and new opportunities to the region,” said Rahall. “This effort will help to clear the path for new enterprises that will complement the Boy Scouts facility in Fayette County, and the Prichard Intermodal facility in Wayne County, and facilitate the development of the Barkers Creek Industrial Park in Wyoming County.”
Nationwide, 171 communities in 44 states are receiving 264 EPA brownfields grants, giving communities and businesses a chance to reuse properties that have been lying idle and turning them into useful assets. These brownfields investments boost local economies and create new opportunities for economic development.
Since 1995, the EPA’s Brownfields program’s investments have leveraged more than $21 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities. These investments have resulted in approximately 93,000 jobs nationwide.
Each West Virginia community will receive a total of $200,000. The communities to receive funding include:
- The Wayne County Economic Development Authority was awarded a brownfields assessment grant to expand and inventory brownfields, conduct up to 15 environmental site assessments and evaluate sites for cleanup opportunities. The Development Authority will also inform and involve the community in its efforts.
- The City of Morgantown was awarded a brownfields assessment grant to conduct up to 10 environmental site assessments. The funds also will be used to review cleanup strategies and conduct community education and involvement.
- The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) was awarded a brownfields assessment grant to investigate potential petroleum contamination at eight sites and evaluate the sites’ environmental risks. WVDEP’s grant will focus on Nicholas, Fayette, and Raleigh Counties and will work with communities to help prioritize which sites to assess.
- In Tucker County, the City of Thomas was awarded a brownfields assessment grant to conduct 11 environmental site assessments, develop five cleanup plans and inform and involve the community.
- The Wyoming County Economic Development Authority was awarded a brownfields cleanup grant to help in cleaning up what is now referred to as the Barkers Creek Industrial Park in the small community of Tralee. The site has had a variety of industrial uses and the shallow soil is contaminated with heavy metals and petroleum. The 10.9 acre property on State Route 10 has been abandoned since 2000.
For more information on brownfields grants by state, please click here.
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