The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $700,000 grant to identify problematic abandoned gas stations along Route 66 in northern Arizona, reported KNAU, a public radio station.
The grant will be used in Flagstaff, Winslow and Holbrook, as well as sites in Coconino and Navajo counties. Many of these long-closed gas stations’ underground tanks leak fuel and contaminate ground water.
Once the problem sites are found, each city can apply for federal funds to clean them. Not only do the cleanups remove potential future problems in groundwater, basements, and storm sewers, but they also make the properties more desirable for redevelopment.
Here’s the radio broadcast of the report:
Excellent news. Those sites are much more like to be purchased by small businesses, or completely redeveloped, once cleanup is done. This is a great start.