STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Phil Bryant, GOVERNOR
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Gary C. Rikard, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robbie Wilbur
May 31, 2017 601/961-5277
Mississippi Receives Record Nine Brownfield Grants Totaling $2.89 Million
(JACKSON, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced Wednesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a record nine Brownfields grants to entities in the State of Mississippi. The amount awarded totals more than $2.89 million.
“The State of Mississippi received more grants this year than any other state in EPA’s Region 4. In addition, these nine grants total more than the state has ever received in any other year. These grants will improve the environment as well as help boost the economy of these areas as they assess and plan projects in their areas,” said Gary Rikard, MDEQ Executive Director. “Our success this year is a result of the hard work of our community leaders, their grant writing staffs, and the staff of MDEQ’s Brownfield Program. We should all be proud that we have been able to obtain this funding that can have a real impact in these communities.”
MDEQ staff have worked with local governments and the Mississippi Municipal League to offer technical assistance and Brownfield grant writing workshops to communities seeking the EPA funds. In EPA Region 4, 111 applications were received for funding, with 40 ultimately receiving some level of funding. Mississippi entities submitted 10 applications with 9 entities receiving funding.
· The City of Vicksburg will receive $400,000 for two brownfields cleanup grants ($383,500 for hazardous substances and $16,500 for petroleum). The funds will be used to clean up the 1832 Kuhn North Facility and the 1959 Kuhn South Facility of the former Kuhn Memorial Hospital. Both cleanup sites were part of a 12.8-acre former hospital, which has been vacant since 1989. They are contaminated with metals, PCBs, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds for both sites also will be used to conduct air monitoring and support community involvement activities.
· Canton – $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) to include an update of the city’s brownfields inventory.
· Clarksdale – $300,000 ($166,200 for hazardous substances and $133,800 for petroleum) to include an update of the city’s brownfields inventory. Assessment activities will focus on the 18th Street Neighborhood and the Brickyard Area.
· Crystal Springs – $300,000 ($123,000 for hazardous substances and $177,000 for petroleum) to include area-wide planning and the prioritization of the city’s brownfield sites.
· East Central Planning and Development District – $299,700 ($155,100 for hazardous substances and $144,600 for petroleum) to include an inventory and prioritization of brownfield sites. Assessment activities will focus on the cities of Forest, Philadelphia, and Meridian.
· Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, Inc. – $600,000 ($400,000 for hazardous substances and $200,000 for petroleum) to include the expansion of a brownfields inventory. Assessment activities will focus on four census tracts within Choctaw, Clay, Noxubee and Oktibbeha Counties. Partners include the cities of West Point, and Starkville, and the counties of Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston.
· Greenville – $300,000 ($200,000 for hazardous substances and $100,000 for petroleum) to include area-wide planning. One area of focus is the Lower Mississippi River Port Investment Initiative Area.
· Louisville – $400,000 ($205,000 for hazardous substances and $195,000 for petroleum) to include the prioritization of brownfields sites and begin area-wide planning. Assessment activities will focus on West Louisville, East Louisville, and southeast Winston County. Partners are the City of Noxapater and Winston County.
A Brownfield is a property, of which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. EPA's Brownfields Program enables states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.
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