DEP Secretary Hails $7 Million for Florida's Communities

TALLAHASSEE—Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. congratulates 10 Florida communities for being awarded $7 million in brownfields grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Florida received more grant funding than any other state in the nation to help communities revitalize properties environmentally, restore economic vitality and mitigate potential health risks.

“We are making a strong commitment to Florida’s economy through the redevelopment of brownfield sites,” said DEP Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. “Together with the state’s efforts, this additional funding is cleaning up environmental contamination, building stronger communities, bringing new business opportunities into Florida’s cities and providing jobs for our residents.”

DEP assisted applicants with the grant process and will provide continued support to redevelop properties and return them to the community. The 10 Florida recipients were selected for federal funding from more than 711 national applicants based on community need and public involvement. Grant recipients include:

• Central Florida Regional Planning Council – Two brownfields revolving loan fund grants totaling $1,000,000 will be used to provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum in Polk County and the Cities of Mulberry and Fort Meade.
• City of Daytona Beach– Two brownfields cleanup grants totaling $200,000 will be used to clean up the Palmetto Avenue and Wall Street Parking Lot site.
• Orange County - Two brownfields assessment grants totaling $400,000 will fund 12 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental sites assessments in the Pine Hills community, as well as community outreach, cleanup planning and community health monitoring.
• Pasco County – Two brownfields assessment coalition grants totaling $1,000,000 will be used to conduct 44 Phase I and 16 Phase II environmental site assessments along the main north/south corridors, including I-19 and US 301, and in Community Redevelopment Areas and the Lacoochee-Trilby industrial area, as well as cleanup planning, public health monitoring and community outreach.
• Plant City Community Redevelopment Agency – Three brownfields cleanup grants totaling $600,000 will clean up the Hydraulic Hose/JWH-Telco Property at 617 and 619 South Evers Street, the Stock Lumber property at 305 South Evers Street and 415 and 508 South Collins Street, and the Gro Mor property at 307 South Evers Street, as well as fund community outreach activities at all three sites.
• Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization – One brownfields assessment coalition grant totaling $1,000,000 will be used to conduct 46 Phase I and 20 Phase II environmental site assessments along the Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, as well as develop a site inventory, monitor institutional controls, and support community involvement activities.
• City of Tallahassee – Two brownfields revolving loan fund grants totaling $1,000,000 will be used to provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum in the Gaines Street Corridor, as well as community involvement activities and cleanup oversight.
• Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council – One brownfields assessment coalition grant of $1,000,000 to conduct 50 Phase I and 17 Phase II environmental site assessments in the Gifford neighborhood in unincorporated Indian River County, the Westgate/Belvedere Community Redevelopment Area, and the Cities of Pahokee, South Bay, Belle Glade, and Fort Pierce, as well as cleanup and public health monitoring plans and community outreach activities.
• City of Wauchula - Two brownfields assessment grants totaling $400,000 to conduct 18 Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments along the U.S. 17 Corridor, the Florida Avenue Corridor, and Downtown Wauchula, as well as public health monitoring, community involvement activities, and cleanup plans.
• West Florida Regional Planning Council - Two brownfields assessment grants totaling $400,000 to conduct 45 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments along the Gulf Coast areas impacted by Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, as well as community outreach activities. A supplemental revolving loan fund grant of $215,000 was also received.

“With the help of Florida’s brownfield program and these grants, local communities are able to revitalize areas that would otherwise sit idle and abandoned and return them to a useful, productive state,” said DEP Secretary Vinyard. “We look forward to working with each community and our federal partners to restore the environment and create more economic opportunity within Florida.”

Brownfields are properties where expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of environmental pollution. DEP’s Brownfield Redevelopment program began in 1998 and is one of the fastest growing programs in the nation with a steady annual increase in development projects. Today, DEP has 110 brownfield projects underway, an additional 46 brownfield projects that have completed cleanup and 269 designated brownfield areas. Based on economic and regulatory incentives, this program uses private funding to clean up and redevelop areas in Florida, create new job opportunities and enhance economic prospects.

For more information about Florida’s brownfields program: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/brownfields/default.htm.

To learn more about the grants, visit: http://epa.gov/brownfields/pilot_grants.htm.