August 1, 2016 [Cuyahoga Land Bank]
The Cuyahoga Land Bank was recently awarded a $400,000 federal grant to assess contaminated sites for environmental risks and potential redevelopment. The grant was among $55.2 million the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded communities around the country to assess, clean up and redevelop brownfield sites.
“Cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated sites is a win-win, helping to promote environmental clean-up and local economic development for our communities,” says Cheryl Stephens, Director of Acquisitions, Dispositions and Development for the Cuyahoga Land Bank. “There are hundreds of environmentally unclean sites throughout the County and the EPA grant will allow us to begin to address some of those sites.”
“These grants will empower communities to transform idle, languishing lands into vibrant hubs for business, jobs, and recreation,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “It’s all about providing that initial funding, and sparking that first conversation to set stalled sites on a path toward smart, safe redevelopment that directly benefits communities.”
This is the third Brownfield Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant awarded by the EPA to the Cuyahoga Land Bank since 2010. The Cuyahoga Land Bank will use the grant dollars for initial assessments of commercial and industrial sites such as closed gas stations to detect underground contamination that can eventually lead to cleanup and redevelopment of the affected sites. Other local grant recipients include the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District ($200,000 towards cleanup efforts) and the Lorain Port Authority ($200,000 for assessment).