On Thursday, June 18, 2015, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney recognized Macon-Bibb County, Ga. as the recipient of Brownfields grant investments totaling $400,000 ($200,000 assessment grant for hazardous substances and $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum). Of the 94 applications received for this funding from the EPA Southeast region, 22 were awarded; Macon-Bibb County was the only grant recipient in Georgia.

The grants, funded by EPA’s Brownfields program, help recipients to conduct assessments on Brownfields properties. The investments continue to provide communities with necessary funding to help clean up America’s land, boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health.

This project is part of Macon-Bibb County’s Economic and Community Development Focus Area in its Forward Together Strategic Plan. The Middle Georgia Regional Commission and the local Strong Cities, Strong Communities team helped write the grant, and other partners to identify the areas of focus.

EPA’s Brownfields grants provide resources early which is critical for the success of communities’ ability to leverage additional partnerships and resources. The community leaders – represented by local governments, states, tribes, quasi-governmental organizations, and non-profit entities have demonstrated strong partnerships and plan to leverage the EPA grants with other public-private investments. They use an inclusive process to help spur the redevelopment of vacant, former manufacturing and commercial sites for broader revitalization in their downtowns. This results in a transformed economy and environment while addressing poverty and economic distress.

Since the inception of the EPA’s Brownfields Program in 1995, cumulative brownfield program investments have leveraged more than $22 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities. This equates to an average of $17.79 leveraged per EPA brownfield dollar expended. These investments have resulted in approximately 105,942 jobs nationwide. EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields sites.