EPA announces $500,000 in Brownfield grant funding for Pine Bluff

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 412 views 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Monday (May 19) that the city of Pine Bluff in Arkansas will receive $500,000 in Brownfields grant funding to assess, cleanup, and revitalize local properties.

“The Brownfields Program exemplifies administrator Lee Zeldin’s goal of ‘Powering the Great American Comeback’ while cleaning up contamination and supporting local economies,” said Scott Mason, regional administrator. “During the Trump administration’s first 100 days, we listed 27 Brownfield sites as ‘Ready for Anticipated Reuse,’ which allows businesses to invest in properties without the fear of potential contamination from hazardous chemicals. With these grants, we will see even more properties transform into thriving economic centers while providing a safe environment for all Americans.”

Pine Bluff will recieve a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites, prepare four cleanup plans and one Brownfields Revitalization Plan, and conduct community engagement activities.

The target area for this grant is the Pine Bluff Downtown Development District. Priority sites include the 0.26-acre Saenger Theatre, the 0.42-acre Hotel Pines, and the 4-acre former Pine Bluff Bus Terminal.

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse.

To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment, according to the agency.