The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding two Brownfields grants totaling $1.4 million to the city of Phoenix. The grants will go toward revitalizing polluted land.
A brownfield is land that may contain hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants from prior use.
A $600,000 grant will go toward the Rio Reimagined urban waters project, a long-time effort to revitalize the Salt River corridor. Phoenix will work with ASU and the cities of Avondale and Tempe to assess the extent of contamination of land along the river.
“We’ll be doing a lot of work from about 19th Avenue all the way to our Tres Rios project at about 91st Avenue," said Roseanne Albright, with Phoenix’s Office of Environmental Programs.
An additional $800,000 will be put into a low-interest revolving loan program for businesses or nonprofits wishing to redevelop polluted areas throughout the city. Albright said when land is polluted, cleanup costs can deter developers from taking on revitalization projects.
“With this low-interest loan, we can help bridge that gap and continue to encourage Brownfields reuse,” Albright said.
The loan program will launch in October and will be administered by the organization LISC.
