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Applications being accepted for Cleaner Commonwealth Fund grants

Offering cleanup grants for brownfield properties

FRANKFORT, Ky.  (Feb 2, 2015) – The Kentucky Brownfield Redevelopment Program in the Department for Environmental Protection (DEP) is offering cleanup grants through the Cleaner Commonwealth Fund (CCF).

brownfieldThe CCF is a grant-and-loan fund established with an $850,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grant. The program is releasing $182,000 to provide money for brownfield cleanup projects in Kentucky.

Brownfields are properties that are abandoned or underutilized due to real or perceived environmental contamination. They can include old factories, former gas stations, mine-scarred lands and abandoned dry cleaning establishments. There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in the country.

In this round of grants, eligible entities including local governments, nonprofits and quasi-governmental agencies, can apply for up to $50,000 for an eligible hazardous waste or petroleum contamination cleanup project. For a site to be eligible, the applicant must have performed All Appropriate Inquiries (Phase I Assessment) within the six-month period prior to the purchase of the property and met bona fide prospective purchaser guidelines. There are exceptions for some cases of involuntary acquisition. A Phase II Assessment must also be complete at the time of application. More eligibility guidelines can be found in the request-for-proposal document and our frequently asked questions.

Funding announcements will be made in April, and projects will start in July. The loan program, which will be open to public, private and nonprofit entities, will be launched this summer. For more information contact Herb Petitjean or Amanda LeFevre at (800) 926-8111.

Related news:

State grants to help restoration projects in Annville, Paducah

Grant funds available for the cleanup of brownfield properties