Lawrence officials announced recently that 2014 is the year for redevelopment in the city, as they move forward toward application for an EPA Brownfields Grant.
EPA’s Brownfields Mission (from their website)
EPA’s Brownfields Program is designed to empower 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. A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. EPA’s Brownfields Program provides financial and technical assistance for brownfields activities through an approach based on four main goals:
1. Protecting the Environment Addressing brownfields to ensure the health and well-being of America’s people and environment.
2. Promoting Partnerships Enhancing collaboration and communication essential to facilitate brownfields cleanup and reuse.
3. Strengthening the Marketplace Providing financial and technical assistance to bolster the private market.
4. Sustaining Reuse Redeveloping brownfields to enhance a community’s long-term quality of life.
The EPA grant will help address the environmental challenges on these sites, mostly along the Franklin Road corridor, and encourage redevelopment in our city.
