Funds will support brownfield cleanup projects in 10 Kentucky communities
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 25, 2023) – Gov. Andy Beshear and Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman today announced that 10 Kentucky communities and agencies have been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive over $7.9 million in grant funding to assess and clean up “brownfields” – industrial and commercial properties that are known or suspected to contain contaminants.
“This record-setting amount of funding supports economic development and creates safer and healthier spaces that our families can enjoy,” Gov. Beshear said. “I look forward to seeing the positive effects these cleanup projects will have on communities across the commonwealth.”
The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (DEP) and Louisville-Metro Jefferson County Government each were awarded $1 million in supplemental revolving loan funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL).
Also receiving funding are:
- Frontier Housing, Inc., Morehead, Ky. – A $1,999,900 EPA Cleanup Grant to remediate the Hayswood Hospital building in Maysville. The hospital closed in 1983 and has remained vacant. Frontier Housing, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing, plans to renovate the building into residential space.
- OakPointe Centre, Inc., Somerset, Ky. – A $999,821 EPA Cleanup Grant to remediate the former Palm Beach factory, a 144,000-square-foot sewing factory and warehouse structure in Somerset that was originally built in 1946.
- Caldwell County Board of Education – A $499,900 EPA Cleanup Grant to remove hazardous materials from an annex building prior to its demolition and reconstruction as a space for recreation and community programming.
- City of Beattyville – A $499,939 EPA Cleanup Grant to remediate a two-story structure in downtown Beattyville originally built in 1939 and previously used as a city hall, jail and firehouse.
- Big Sandy Area Development District – A $500,000 EPA Community-wide Assessment Grant to inventory, prioritize and conduct environmental site assessments in the city of Prestonsburg. Grant funds also will be used to prepare eight cleanup plans and to conduct community engagement activities including developing a Community Involvement Plan.
- Carroll County – A $500,000 EPA Community-wide Assessment Grant to inventory, conduct environmental assessments and develop cleanup plans for sites in Carroll County. Priority sites include the site of the former Carrollton Furniture Factory, a five-acre property located within the city’s historic district and a 58-acre site on Highway 227 with multiple violations for unauthorized dumping.
- City of Ashland – A 500,000 EPA Community-wide Assessment Grant to inventory sites, conduct environmental assessments, develop cleanup plans and support community outreach activities in the City of Ashland’s historic riverfront district. Priority sites include a former hardware store and warehouse, automotive repair shop, commercial storefront, radiator and auto body repair shop, motorcycle repair and paint shop, dry cleaner and three former gas stations.
- Green River Area Development District – A $500,000 EPA Community-wide Assessment Grant to inventory, conduct environmental assessments, develop site cleanup plans and support community outreach activities in the Green River region. The target areas for this grant are the cities of Providence and Sebree. Priority sites include former auto shops, two coal mines, a clothing factory, a gas station and several vacant commercial buildings in various states of deterioration.
“Our vision for Ashland is one of resilience, sustainability and prosperity,” said Ashland Mayor Matt Perkins. “This grant represents a remarkable opportunity to restore and reclaim our brownfield sites, breathing new life into them and opening doors to sustainable development.”
“The Caldwell County Board of Education the former Butler High School has a long-standing tradition of being the central hub of the Caldwell County community,” said Superintendent Jeremy Roach, Ed.D., Caldwell County Schools. “The Brownfields Cleanup Grant will enable us to clean up an outdated and hazardous facility on this campus.”
Since 2007, Kentucky communities have received $25.6 million in EPA brownfield funding through the assistance of the DEP’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program. Some of the notable projects in the past several years include the creation of the Louisville Waterfront Botanical Garden and the Lynn Family Soccer Stadium in Louisville, the clean-up of a railyard in Irvine and planning for the remediation of a solid waste facility in Paris.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill has more than tripled the number of brownfield funding available to Kentucky communities this year,” Secretary Goodman said. “We are excited that so many great projects are in the works.”
The federal brownfields program has been around for more than two decades. Eligible entities include local governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and quasi-governmental agencies.
For more information about Kentucky’s grant recipients or to inquire about funding for brownfields redevelopment, contact Lynn True at 502.782.6484 or Kiersten O’Leary at 502.782.6360. For an overview of EPA’s Brownfields grants, please visit Types of EPA Brownfield Grant Funding | US EPA. For information regarding solicitations for FY 2023 Brownfield grants proposals, please visit Solicitations for Brownfield Grants | US EPA.
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