GRAND RAPIDS – The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that Ottawa County has been awarded $400,000 in grant funds from the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Program to assess, cleanup, and redevelop contaminated properties, promote economic development, create jobs, and protect public health.
The County will utilize the grant funds to perform Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments of properties that are believed to be contaminated and, if redeveloped, would have a measurable impact on the local economy (e.g. create jobs, increase local investment) and/or would remove a public health risk. The information collected as a result of the assessments is utilized to promote these properties to businesses that are interested in either expanding within the area or relocating to the area.
The grant funds are also available to businesses and local units of governments in Ottawa County which are planning to complete a redevelopment project. The grant funds can be utilized to perform Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments of the project sites. If contamination is found as a result of the environmental assessments, the grant funds can be utilized to complete Baseline Environmental Assessments and to formulate cleanup plans. A total of $200,000 will be available to assess properties that are suspected of containing unsafe levels of hazardous substances. Additionally, $200,000 will be available to assess properties that are suspected of containing unsafe levels of petroleum.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has identified 218 brownfield properties in Ottawa County (93 properties contaminated by hazardous substances and 125 properties contaminated by petroleum). There are other properties, in addition to the MDEQ sites, that are suspected of being contaminated. By performing environmental assessments and cleanup plans for these properties, more brownfield redevelopment will occur in Ottawa County. As a result, local communities will experience an increase in economic development, new job creation, and increased local investment. Additionally, the new redevelopment will improve the local environment by reducing contamination, protecting natural resources, preserving green-space in rural areas, and improving the health and well-being of residents within the County.
