EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfield sites. 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 Job Training Grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
$500,000
EPA has selected the City of Easton for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Former Easton Iron & Metal Property located at 1111-1164 Bushkill Drive. The 15-acre cleanup site was initially developed in the 1800s with a lime-making kiln and quarry and later housed an automotive repair shop, a filling station, an auto salvage yard, a metal recycling facility, a salvage yard, and a junkyard. The site is currently vacant, with access controlled and monitored by the City of Easton. It is contaminated with metals, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, methylene chloride, and tetrachloroethylene. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.