Several large Route 66 cities will receive brownfield grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “to assess, clean up and redevelop underutilized properties while protecting public health and the environment.”
According to a news release from the agency, 144 cities will receive a total of $54.3 million. Here are the Route 66 communities that will receive grants:
- Springfield, Missouri, $300,000 for assessments
- Tulsa, $300,000 for assessments
- Oklahoma City, $800,000 from revolving loan fund
- Cook County, Illinois, Department of Environment and Sustainability, $600,000 for assessments and $751,000 from revolving loan fund
According to the Springfield News-Leader, the city’s brownfields grant will be dedicated solely to the Route 66 corridor on College and Kearney streets.
The grant funds will be used to conduct 30 environmental site assessments and develop 10 cleanup plans in that area, as well as help conduct community meetings, the release said.
Springfield Brownfield Coordinator Olivia Hough said in a statement that assessments will help the city identify and remove lead contamination and other hazards.
In Tulsa, Tulsa Public Radio reported:
City Deputy Chief of Economic Development Michelle Barnett said brownfield sites include old gas stations, garages and dry cleaners and may have a variety of environmental problems to mitigate before they’re turned into a new business.
“There could be asbestos in buildings. It could be lead-based paint inside the buildings. It could be digging up contaminated soil or addressing groundwater issues that have been on site. There’s a range of things that could be required,” Barnett said.
The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City reported:
“Oklahoma City is among the nation’s top-performing cities for leveraging brownfields funding to build economic success,” said EPA Regional Administrator Anne Idsal. “With this grant, they can continue to show how blighted properties can become investments for the community.”
Thursday’s presentation was at the Steelyard Apartments near downtown.
“It’s not unusual for property in and around downtown to have environmental issues,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said. “This area was formerly full of gas stations, dry cleaners, pump jacks, auto repair shops and auto salvage lots. Those uses left a legacy that presented challenges to new users. I’d like to thank the EPA for providing funding that helps put these valuable properties back into use.”
According to the EPA:
The Brownfields Program targets communities that are economically disadvantaged and provides funding and assistance to transform blighted sites into assets that can generate jobs and spur economic growth. A study analyzing 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these brownfield sites. Furthermore, another study found that property values of homes located near brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15 percent after cleanup.
In addition, communities can use Brownfields funding to leverage water infrastructure loans and other financial resources. For example, EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund can be used, under certain conditions, to address the water quality aspects of brownfield sites and the assessment and construction of drinking water infrastructure on brownfields, respectively. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program may also serve as a potential source of long-term, low-cost supplemental financing to fund brownfields project development and implementation activities to address water quality aspects of brownfields.
(Image of an abandoned gas station in Oklahoma City by H.L.I.T. via Flickr)