EPA Lauds W.Va. Communities for Brownfields Redevelopment Statewide Bringing Economic Benefits While Protecting Public Health

Six new brownfields projects awarded more than $1.3 million

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (Sept. 11, 2014) Today at West Virginia’s Brownfields Conference the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin recognized six communities who received EPA brownfields grants this year for a total of $1.32 million. Mr. Garvin highlighted many successful brownfields projects and effective redevelopment strategies underway in West Virginia.

“I can’t overstate the importance of brownfields restoration – – which is spurring economic development, revitalizing communities and protecting people’s health and our environment here in West Virginia. and across the country,” Mr. Garvin said “This conference allows us to share successful strategies for redevelopment that can be adopted in other West Virginia communities.”

West Virginia’s 2014 EPA Brownfields grantees and projects recognized are:

1. Don Perdue, executive director and Carol Damron, executive assistant, representing the Wayne County Economic Development Authority receiving a $200,000 assessment grant – to conduct environmental assessments along the U.S. Route 52 corridor to safely manage and market those properties as part of the heartland intermodal gateway.

2. David Bott, community development administrator, on behalf of the City of Morgantown – receiving a $200,000 assessment grant to conduct environmental assessments in the Sunnyside neighborhood, which has historically been the industrial hub of Morgantown – and home to glass plants, power generating facilities, rail lines, machine shops, and other industrial riverfront companies.

3. Dave Clark, New Historic Thomas Steering Committee and Emily Wilson-Hauger of the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area, West Virginia representing The City of Thomas receiving a $200,000 grant to conduct environmental assessments of the City’s riverfront and downtown areas hurt by declining industrial and mining activities.

4. Christy Laxton, executive director of the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, receiving a $200,000 grant to cleanup contamination on the former Lusk Lumber Property in Tralee, a core property in the heart of the Barkers Creek Industrial Park.

5. David Mills, city manager, on behalf of The City of Charles Town which has received $250,000 supplemental revolving loan funds to expand the City’s cleanup activities to the public works yard site, which will soon become the new Evitts Run Conservancy, encompassing recreational green space, public parkland, and stormwater runoff control along Evitts Run Creek.

6. Patty Hickman, Acting Director of Land Restoration for the West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection (W.Va. DEP) which is receiving a $200,000 grant to assess petroleum contaminated sites in Nicholas, Fayette and Raleigh counties. W.Va. DEP is also receiving an additional $70,000 to assess and prepare a remediation plan for a riverfront property at the former TS&T site in Chester.

EPA has invested more than $18 million in brownfields project throughout the state since 1997. West Virginia sites have been reused as commercial sites – – from shipping to shopping – – and also for parks and playgrounds. Communities and non-profit organizations have put EPA’s funding to work in 160 site assessments and 13 cleanups of brownfields properties. Working with many partners, these EPA grantees were able to leverage an additional $60 million.