EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister presented a $500,000 ceremonial check to the Community Development Administration (CDA) of St. Louis, Missouri, as a Brownfields Assessment Grant recipient.
McCollister was joined by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and CDA Executive Director Nahuel Fefer.
The city plans to use the Brownfields Assessment Grant for community-wide initiatives, including conducting 32 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments, developing seven cleanup plans, and providing staff training.
The grant targets the neighborhoods of Fountain Park, Greater Ville, The Ville, Jeff Vanderlou, St. Louis Place, College Hill, Fairground Neighborhood, Wells Goodfellow, Walnut Park East, Hamilton Heights, and Chouteau’s Landing.
These 11 neighborhoods make up only 10% of the total geographic area of St. Louis but account for approximately 53% of the city’s total vacancies. Environmental site assessments will focus on vacant buildings, including abandoned corner gas stations, which depress property values and contribute to further vacancies.
“EPA Region 7 has collaborated with numerous organizations in the St. Louis area through our Brownfields Program, and we are proud to extend these efforts through a new partnership with the City of St. Louis,” McCollister said. “Together, EPA and St. Louis are building a cleaner and more robust economy for one of our largest cities in America’s heartland.”
“Cleaning up contaminated properties helps protect families and creates new opportunities for our communities,” Jones said. “St. Louis is grateful to President Biden and the EPA for delivering these resources to our city.”
“Investments in our communities only strengthen us,” said U.S. Representative Cori Bush (MO-1). “That’s why I am thrilled that St. Louis is receiving $500,000 from the EPA for community and environmental cleanup efforts. This funding will focus on assessing environmental cleanup needs in St. Louis and revitalizing Chouteau’s Landing and other neighborhoods in the northern part of the city. This grant is a step toward environmental justice and enhancing the well-being of our communities.”
“This EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant signifies the City of St. Louis – Community Development Administration’s dedication to fostering a vibrant and sustainable St. Louis,” Fefer said. “Cleaning up these sites not only revitalizes the city’s physical landscape but also creates opportunities for attracting businesses and strengthening neighborhoods to ensure the health and well-being of our residents.”
EPA has chosen these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites. EPA expects to make all the recently announced awards once all legal and administrative requirements are met.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return them to productive use. Over the years, the relatively small federal investment has leveraged nearly $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment, creating almost 260,000 jobs from both public and private sources.
Communities that have previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups, successfully leveraging an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar.
Learn more about Brownfields Grants at this link.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields Program at this link.
