Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper alongside Colorado U.S. Representative Yadira Caraveo welcomed over $8 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help clean polluted and abandoned properties in Colorado. The investments were awarded through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs which received funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
“Contaminated properties – like abandoned buildings with polluted soil – stifle development because of the environmental and health risks to surrounding communities,” said Hickenlooper. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will help safely revitalize these sites and open the door for more community investments.”
“As the first Representative for the 8th district, I’m fighting for every corner of the Front Range and Northern Colorado to get their fair share of federal funding,” said Caraveo. “Today, we took a significant step in the right direction with major federal investments in Greeley, Northglenn, and Kersey. The more than $4.3 million federal grant announced by the EPA this morning will go toward cleaning up toxic sites and laying the groundwork for economic renewal at sites that have been abandoned or left in disrepair, positioning our communities for future economic success.”
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are helping community leaders revitalize downtown areas through the transformation of blighted properties,” said KC Becker, Regional Administrator, EPA. “Today’s funding will help reclaim contaminated buildings, soil, water and outdoor spaces and create new economic opportunities in Greeley and Kersey.”
Since 1995, EPA’s Brownfields Program has provided nearly $2.7 billion to assess and clean up contaminated properties. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $1.5 billion for the Program and has helped increase yearly investments by nearly 400 percent.
The grants will make the following investments across Colorado:
- $2,750,000 to Northglenn to clean up the Former Northglenn Recreation Center;
- $1,132,899 to Kersey to clean up the Town’s Grain Elevator Property;
- $1,000,000 to Pueblo to conduct environmental site assessments, prepare an inventory of brownfield sites, and conduct cleanup and reuse planning and community engagement activities in Y Zone consisting of the Downtown, Eastside, and Bessmer neighborhoods;
- $1,000,000 to Monte Vista to conduct environmental site assessments and to conduct reuse, cleanup, and community engagement activities for sites in the city’s Main Street Corridor;
- $500,000 to Greeley to conduct environmental site assessments in the Central Downtown area, University Uptown area, and Railway District; and
- $500,000 to Metro West Housing Solutions in Lakewood to clean up the Belmar Groves Apartments.