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.
$1,500,000
EPA has selected the Middle Georgia Regional Commission to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 42 Phase I and 25 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to create a thorough site inventory, conduct community engagement activities, and prepare six site reuse and three brownfields revitalization plans. Assessment activities will focus on the Cities of Macon and Milledgeville. Priority sites include the 8-acre Gray Highway Auto Repair Facilities site located at the Gray Highway/Emery Highway intersection; the vacant 2,000-acre Central State Hospital Campus; and a nearly 3-acre site that was formerly used to manufacture restaurant equipment. Non-lead coalition members include Macon-Bill County Urban Development Authority and Baldwin County.