Staff Report
The Mineral County Parks and Recreation Commission will receive a $400,000 grant to study brownfields.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the grant to go to brownfields assessments in the county, which has many historic mining and railroad towns with deteriorating commercial stock and possible residual contamination from past activities.
Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
Debbie Schechter, manager of the EPA Pacific Southwest Region's brownfields program, said the grant will create an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, prioritize sites, conduct environmental site assessments, and support community outreach activities.
Communities and agencies in 43 states, two tribal nations and two territories will share over $74 million in brownfields grants designed to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites and allow for productive community use.