"A solid investment in the future of Milwaukee:" EPA grants $1 million to clean up "brownfield" sites

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Susan Hedman has announced a $1 million "Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund" grant to clean up contaminated properties in Milwaukee to prepare the sites for reuse.

Hedman was joined by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and Mayor Tom Barrett for the announcement at a brownfield site in the Park East Corridor on Thursday, August 7th -- where a prior EPA grant was used for cleanup work.

“This EPA brownfield grant is a solid investment in the future of Milwaukee that will help transform contaminated sites into redevelopment opportunities,” said Hedman. “EPA’s new grant will help expand Milwaukee’s successful brownfield redevelopment program.”

The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee will use EPA’s new grant to provide loans to clean up contaminated sites throughout the city.

"I welcome the awarding of funds to revitalize our city, spur job creation, economic development and rid our city of a public health nuisance. With these federal funds, Milwaukee can clean up more brownfields and help create new housing and retail that are sorely needed and which will benefit the people of 4th District,” U.S. Rep. Moore said.

“EPA brownfield funding has provided a significant push toward redevelopment of blighted properties here in Milwaukee.  It has returned land to taxable, job producing uses,” Mayor Tom Barrett said.  “Milwaukee has been awarded over $17 million in assessment and cleanup grants from the EPA since 2002 resulting in 266 acres cleaned up and 3,500 jobs created or retained.”

The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee used an earlier EPA brownfield grant to cover costs of cleaning up the Park East Corridor site where EPA made today’s announcement.  The Avenir Apartments and a related retail project on this site have created 250 construction jobs.  An additional 30 to 60 jobs will be created when construction is complete.

171 communities across the nation were awarded EPA Brownfield grants this year.

Information on those grants is available at:   http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/