Courtesy: Thomas Wheatley, Creative Loafing
The US Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday formally announced a $1 million grant to The City of Atlanta to fund environmental clean up projects and redevelopment.
The announcement was made at Historic Fourth Ward Park in a ceremony headlined by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
The specific purpose of the money is aimed at cleaning up sites know as brownfields, many of which lie along the Atlanta Beltline.
Brownfields are sections of land previously reserved for commercial or industrial use that have since been abandoned and are believed to be contaminated by hazardous waste or pollution.
Atlanta is home to an estimated 950 brownfield sites as a whole, and about 140 of those are located along the Beltline.
The City of Atlanta will use the grant to create a revolving loan fund from which city officials can provide funding for cleanup activities.
Local EPA regional administrator Stan Meiburg sees this grant as, not only a chance for economic development, but also a step toward one of the Beltline’s major goals of creating livable green space.
“This funding will help local efforts in transforming underutilized properties into community assets while providing a boost for the economy through the creation of jobs.”
In total, city officials plan to utilize the EPA funds for cleanups in seven of Atlanta’s redevelopment corridors: Memorial Drive, Pryor Road, Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, Simpson Road, Campbellton Road, Jonesboro Road and Stadium Area/Summerhill.
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