Apr 27, 2018 1 min read

Greene County Industrial Development Authority has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields program.

The money will be used to conduct site assessments on properties that may be contaminated with petroleum or hazardous substances and to determine the feasibility for cleanup and redevelopment, a release issued by EPA said.

The assessments will target various sites throughout the county.

“This grant will be used for the assessment of unknown potentially hazardous or contaminated sites that resulted from past industrial use,” Commissioners Blair Zimmerman said. “We are hopeful that these sites will be able to be utilized to attract future development to Greene County.”

The Brownfields Program provides funding and assistance to transform contaminated sites into assets that can generate jobs and spur economic growth. Communities can use Brownfields funding to leverage considerable infrastructure and other financial resources, the release said.

GCIDA earlier had made efforts to identify brownfield sites throughout the county and has been seeking grant money to conduct further assessment.