HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday $8,387,710 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Florida while advancing environmental justice.
These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, creating good jobs and spurring economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected six communities in Florida to receive six grants totaling more than $8,387,710 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.
Read: Florida DOH-Hillsborough Issues Water Quality Health Advisory For Bahia Beach
In addition, the agency is announcing $3,500,000 in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Program to help expedite their continued work at sites in Florida.
The following organizations in Florida have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. East Central Florida Regional Planning Council has been selected to receive a $3,500,000 assessment grant from EPA.
Grant funds will be used to develop seven cleanup plans and one revitalization plan and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Cities of Palm Bay, Apopka, Kissimmee, and Melbourne.
Priority sites include various vacant and underused properties within the Downtown Apopka Community Redevelopment Area (CRA)/Main Street Corridor, the Downtown Kissimmee CRA/Vine Street Corridor, Melbourne’s Booker Heights community, and Palm Bay’s Coldside community.
Read: Florida State Park Fees Waived For Memorial Day Holiday Weekend: Time To Explore
- Hillsborough County has been selected to receive a $1,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to develop site redevelopment strategies and cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on three Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas along the Interstate-4 corridors in the county: East Lake-Orient Park, University Area, and Ruskin. Priority sites include a 1.93-acre former maintenance yard located in a residential neighborhood, a 2.82-acre abandoned set of mixed-use zoned contiguous lots, and a 2.38-acre former car wash.
- Wimauma Community Development Corporation has been selected to receive a $500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop five cleanup plans and two site reuse plans and to support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the Wimauma community within Hillsborough County with a focus on three disadvantaged census tracts.
The Agency is announcing $3,500,000 in non-competitive supplemental funding to one successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs that have already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites.
RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfield sites. The following Florida organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.
South Florida Regional Planning Council has been selected to receive $3,500,000. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include 1960 NW 27th Avenue in Miami and the old Baltuff Dump on Middle Torch Key. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Broward Counties.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.