The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded more than $1.2 million in brownfield grant funding to organizations in Rhode Island, allowing for the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties throughout the state.
"EPA is proud to invest brownfields dollars to cleanup and revitalize contaminated sites across Rhode Island,” EPA New England Regional Administrator Curt Spalding said. “This work helps create jobs, and can be the catalyst to create new businesses, while making our environment cleaner and the community healthier. This is just one way EPA works to make a difference in communities all across New England."
The funding comes from the EPA’s Brownfields Assessment and Revolving Loan Fund Program, through which the EPA has made more than 700 grants in New England for assessment and cleanup. The EPA’s investments, totaling just under $256 million, have in turn garnered more than $1.4 billion in investment from other public and private entities.
"These grants provide a lot of benefits for our communities and neighborhoods,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), who oversees the EPA’s funding as a member of the Appropriations Committee, said. “Using these funds to revitalize our state's brownfields improves public health, mitigates environmental damage caused by past contamination, and creates opportunities for future economic growth."
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