LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has given Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government $330,000 to clean up contaminated brownfield sites.
Nationally, $11.6 million in funding will be provided to 27 communities that have demonstrated success in using their previously awarded Brownfields Revolving Loan Funding (RLF) grants to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites.
Louisville-Jefferson County funds will be used to aid in addressing remediation at the former Rhodia Site, which will be developed into a mixed-use development. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government tackles large cleanup projects and created a sustainable revolving fund for brownfield projects since first being awarded an RLF in fiscal year 2007. These projects are often largely disinvested areas with social and environmental justice issues.
Brownfield RLF grants enable funding for communities to provide loans and sub-grants for cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned to the fund and re-lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community.
To date, EPA’s RLF grantees across the country have completed 794 cleanups and attracted approximately 48,000 jobs and $16.2 billion in public and private funding. Today’s supplemental funds will help communities keep the cleanup momentum going so that more cleanups can be completed. Each grantee will receive from $200,000 to $500,000.
