The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Awards Grants to Cities in New Jersey

The grants given are meant to help underserved communities get cleaned up.

• By Shereen Hashem
• May 17, 2021

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that four New Jersey projects were selected to receive a total of $1.9 million to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the agency’s Brownsfields Program. According to an article, nationwide, 151 communities will receive 154 grant awards totaling $66.5 million in EPA Brownfields funding, though its “Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants.”

The funding will support disadvantaged communities across the country in cleaning up contaminated, abandoned, industrial and commercial properties. Around 50 percent of selected recipients will be receiving Brownsfields Grant funding for the first time and more than 85 percent are located in or serving small areas.

“Cleaning up brownfields helps protect the environment and serves as a catalyst to jumpstart much needed economic growth in New Jersey communities, often in historically underserved areas,” said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “These grants address decades-old sources of pollution and bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders who work in concert to make their communities better and more sustainable places to live, work and play.”

The selectees are:

• Hainesport Township ($500,000 cleanup grant): Grant funds will be used to clean up the former tank cleaning service. The site is a flat and vacant parcel contaminated with PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tetrachloroethene and heavy metals. Grant funds are also planned to be used for community outreach activities.

• New Jersey Economic Development Authority ($300,000 assessment grant): Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments and prepare four cleanup plans. Grant funds will also go towards community engagement activities.

• City of Salem ($800,000 multipurpose grant): Grant funds will be used to conduct six environmental site assessments. They will also be used to clean up sites in the target area, prepare one site reuse vision and three reuse plans as well as conduct community outreach plans.

• City of Trenton ($300,000 assessment grant): Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments and prepare four cleanup plans and engagement activities.

“Revitalizing brownfields is crucial to achieving Governor Murphy’s environmental justice goals and building toward his vision for a stronger, fairer New Jersey,” said New Jersey Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “This grant funding will help us continue our work to help communities throughout New Jersey transform vacant, contaminated properties into vibrant community assets that improve residents’ lives and drive economic growth.

Learn more about Brownfields Grants here.