R.I. to receive $1M from EPA for contamination cleanups

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY has awarded a total of $1 million to Rhode Island for cleanup of three sites, one in Central Falls, one in Pawtucket and one in Providence, along with $130,000 to assess a former gardening nursery in Barrington.
THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY has awarded a total of $1 million to Rhode Island for cleanup of three sites, one in Central Falls, one in Pawtucket and one in Providence, along with $130,000 to assess a former gardening nursery in Barrington.

PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Rhode Island $1 million for three state cleanup projects.

Central Falls will receive $200,000 to clean up Central Falls Landing at 1420 Broad St. The I-195 Redevelopment District Commission will receive $200,000 to clean up parcel 30 of the redevelopment district, and Pawtucket Central Falls Development Corp. will receive $600,000 for 18 and 24 Branch St. and 10 East St., according to a press release. The EPA is also providing a “Targeted Brownfields Assessment” to the East Bay Community Development Corp., valued at $130,000, for an assessment of a former gardening nursery in Barrington.

The funds are a portion of the EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grant program, which supports municipalities and organizations that are working to clean up contaminated land. The EPA awarded 38 separate grants across the country totaling $54.4 million, $10.3 million of which went to New England communities.

“EPA’s brownfields program is a proven asset helping local communities to get abandoned or derelict property assessed, cleaned up and returned to productive use. This is just one way EPA works to make a difference in communities all across New England,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the agency’s New England office, in a statement.

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Connecticut received four grants totaling $1 million and an $80,000 targeted brownfields assessment; Maine received six grants totaling $2.35 million; Massachusetts received nine grants totaling $2.75 million and a $200,000 targeted brownfields assessment; New Hampshire received three grants totaling $1.2 million; and Vermont received six grants totaling $2 million and a $130,000 targeted brownfield assessment.

Since the brownfield program started, the EPA has awarded New England 641 grants totaling $246.7 million, which the agency calculates cultivated more than $2.5 billion in public and private cleanup and redevelopment investment. The agency also said it “paved the way” for nearly 14,458 jobs in assessment, cleanup, construction and redevelopment.

“Our brownfield investments typically leverage an average of approximately $17 for every dollar we spend,” Spalding said. “This is wise investment in cleaning and revitalizing contaminated sites, creating jobs and new economic opportunities and overall making our communities stronger and our environment cleaner.”

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