[CPEO-BIF] EPA ADMINISTRATOR WHITMAN ANNOUNCES $21.5 MILLION TO REVITALIZE

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

EPA ADMINISTRATOR WHITMAN ANNOUNCES $21.5 MILLION TO REVITALIZE BLIGHTED 
COMMUNITIES IN 17 STATES
	
EPA Administrator Christie Whitman today announced $21.5 million in 
Brownfields grants to clean up and revitalize blighted communities in 17 
states.
	
In a ceremony in Oakland County, Michigan, Whitman said, "We are here 
today to announce the awarding of $21 million dollars in funds to help 
clean up Brownfields across America. This money will go to help 
communities turn neighborhood eyesores into community assets, much like 
what is going on here at this site.
	
" Brownfields restoration is a win-win for everyone," Whitman added, 
"from the children who have new places to play when a Brownfield is 
turned into a ballfield, to the parents who have new jobs when a 
Brownfield becomes the site of a new office building or a retail store."
	
Today's grants are awarded under EPA's Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund 
program to capitalize state and local programs that in turn provide no- 
interest or low- interest loans to businesses to carry out cleanup 
activities at Brownfields properties. Federal capitalization of these 
loan programs  provides necessary resources that enable state and local 
governments to produce or leverage billions of dollars in other public 
and private sector funding to revitalize economically depressed 
communities.
	
The state governments awarded grants today include Alabama ($1 million), 
Arkansas ($1 million), Colorado ($800,000), Hawaii ($2 million), Kansas 
($1 million), New Mexico ($1 million), South Carolina($900,000) and 
Washington state ($800,000).  Local governments awarded
grants, in addition to Oakland County, Mich.($1	million), include: 
Coralville, Iowa ($1 million); El Paso, Texas ($1 million); Kenosha, 
Wis. ($1 million); Milwaukee, Wis. ($1 million); Madera County, 
Calif.($1 million); Santa Rosa, Calif.($1 million); Monroe, Mich. ($1 
million); Taylor, Mich. ($1 million); Montgomery County, Pa.($1 
million); Southern Windsor Regional Planning Commission, Vt. ($1 
million); Springfield, Ohio ($1 million); and Worcester, Mass.	($1 
million).  To date, EPA has awarded 143 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund 
grants to 39 states and the District of Columbia totaling almost $91 
million.
	
For every dollar of federal money spent on Brownfields cleanup 
activities, cities and states produce or leverage $2.48 in private 
investment.  To date, EPA's Brownfields program has leveraged over $4
billion in public and private investments that have turned abandoned 
industrial properties into thriving economic centers, useful 
recreational areas and beneficial open spaces.
	
In addition to the Revolving Loan Fund program,	EPA's Brownfields 
program also funds state and local governments through assessment 
demonstration pilots and job training pilots.  All of these pilot 
programs are intended to provide states, tribes, municipalities and
communities with useful information and strategies to promote a unified 
approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup and redevelopment of 
contaminated properties. These grants spur partnerships among state and  
local governments, community groups, investors and developers to get 
sites cleaned up and ready for
community use instead of remaining a liability to the community and a 
continuing threat to public health and the environment.
	
Earlier this year, President Bush signed bipartisan legislation that 
will encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of old industrial 
properties -- cleaning up our environment, creating jobs and
protecting small businesses from frivolous lawsuits. In	addition, the 
President's FY 03 budget request doubled the funds available through the 
EPA in FY 02 -- from $98 million to $200 million -- to help states and 
communities around the country clean up and revitalize
brownfields sites
	
For further information about EPA's Brownfields	program go to 
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
	
	R-84                               # # #
	
	~ ~ ~
	
	For more information on this pilot announcement
	and previous pilot announcements visit:
	epa.gov/brownfields/pilot.htm#previous
	
	For more information on the Brownfields Cleanup
	Revolving Loan Fund Pilots, visit:
	epa.gov/brownfields/rlflst.htm
	
	For more general information on EPA's Brownfields
	Redevelopment Initiative, visit the Website at:
	epa.gov/brownfields.

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