EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2018, was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through five competitive grant programs: Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, Cleanup Grants, and Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
$500,000
EPA has selected BRI Development, LLC, for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Sinclair Lot located at the corner of Maine Street and Agassiz Street in the City of Bethlehem. Located in Bethlehem's downtown corridor, the cleanup site formerly held the Sinclair Hotel, which was destroyed by a fire in 1978 and has since been a largely unused and overgrown lot. The lot is contaminated with metals and inorganic compounds in its soil and groundwater. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities.