Salisbury one of Four NC Entities to Receive $1.4 Million for EPA Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment

Community Planning Services / Wednesday, May 6, 2020

/ Categories: News, Planning and Neighborhoods News

Salisbury one of Four NC Entities to Receive $1.4 Million for EPA Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Wheeler announced EPA’s selection of four entities in North Carolina for Brownfields grants totaling $1.4 million. Recipients include the City of Gastonia ($300,000), the City of Kinston ($300,000), the City of Salisbury ($500,000) and the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments ($300,000).

“Grants awarded by EPA’s Brownfield Program provide communities and tribes across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA has delivered approximately $287 million in Brownfield grants directly to communities and nonprofits for cleanup and redevelopment, job creation, and economic development through the award of over 948 grants.”

“These grants will provide the cities of Gastonia, Kinston and Salisbury as well as the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments with resources to clean up contaminated lands and return them to productive use,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “Overall, Brownfields funding provides communities with an opportunity to convert contaminated sites into community assets that will attract jobs, encourage partnerships and achieve broader economic development outcomes.”

Nationwide, the agency is announcing the selection of 155 grants for communities and tribes totaling over $65.6 million in EPA brownfields funding through the agency’s Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Programs. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities, including neighborhoods located in Opportunity Zones, in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investment, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Of the communities selected this year, 118 can potentially assess or clean up brownfield sites in census tracts designated in these zones. In addition, nearly 30% of the communities selected today will receive brownfields funding for the first time.

“With more than 500 Brownfield sites in North Carolina, communities all across North Carolina are unable to use valuable pieces of property,” said U.S. Senator Tom Tillis (NC). “I want to thank EPA Administrator Wheeler and President Trump for awarding these grants to clean up these sites so these communities can rehabilitate properties and create jobs that contribute to the economy.”

“When North Carolina businesses transition to new spaces, their former offices or storefronts shouldn’t be left to sit vacant,” said Senator U.S. Senator Richard Burr (NC). “These Brownfields grants will help empower the communities of Gastonia, Kinston, Salisbury, Littleton and Roanoke Rapids to safely evaluate and rehab these unused spaces for today’s commercial use. I applaud Administrator Wheeler for recognizing the importance of these projects and thank Administrator Walker and local officials for their dedication to bringing additional commercial development to their communities.”

“We are thrilled that the City of Salisbury has been chosen to receive this Brownfields Grant from the EPA. The $500,000 grant will fund the cleanup of a contaminated area of the city and allow it to be developed and revitalized,” said U.S. Congressman Ted Budd (NC-13). “In a time of great uncertainty in our country, this funding represents an important economic stimulus that will support the city of Salisbury and spur the economic comeback that is sure to take place once the COVD-19 pandemic is in our rearview mirror.”

“The Brownfield Assessment Grant is great news for our area. It’s location in an Opportunity Zone signifies huge potential for future growth. I look forward to seeing how this initiative will help repurpose these areas for expanded economic development in Gastonia,” said U.S. Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10).

“I am pleased Kinston was selected to be a Brownfields grant recipient, and I thank the EPA for the great work they are doing in North Carolina,” said U.S. Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03). “Not only will this funding help clean up the Queen Street Corridor, it will also help create jobs for hardworking eastern North Carolinians. In this challenging time, it is good to have projects that not only benefit the health of our communities but also get people back to work.”

“The Brownfield grants were designed by Congress to protect and redevelop communities affected by environmental contamination. I am grateful to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its willingness to provide substantial grants to the City of Roanoke Rapids and Town of Littleton,” said Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01).

"The community leaders in Gastonia, Kinston, Salisbury, Littleton and Roanoke Rapids had the vision to transform abandoned properties into thriving spaces to benefit their communities," said North Carolina Assistant Secretary for the Environment Sheila Holman. "The EPA grants are a win-win, as they will help these communities redevelop the properties, creating jobs and boosting the local economy while protecting the environment.”

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the EPA to address contaminated sites in Salisbury,” said Salisbury Mayor Karen Kirks Alexander. “This grant will enable us to clean up the former Kesler textile mill site, remove an eye sore, improve public health and safety, act as a springboard for redevelopment, and continued improvements in the Park Avenue neighborhood.”

“Gastonia is a strong community that has transitioned from its textile roots to a robust and diverse economy; supporting advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and a growing Downtown sports and entertainment district. Our City is proving to be “the place to be” for developers and young professional entrepreneurs,” said Gastonia Mayor Walker E. Reid, III. “The brownfield funds are critical to facilitating the development of some older infill sites that would otherwise not be financially feasible to pursue.”

“I’d like to say thank you to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency for giving us, the City Of Kinston the opportunity to make some of our properties throughout our downtown developable, in hopes of attracting more businesses and entrepreneur's to our city,” said Kinston Mayor Don Hardy. “I'm excited that we were chosen to be one of the applicants to receive the Brownfields grant. We are humble to be awarded and do not take any of this lightly. We look forward to the continued relationship between the City of Kinston and our good friends at the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.”

The grant recipients in North Carolina include:

Gastonia, N.C., Assessment Grant

$300,000

EPA has selected the City of Gastonia for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop two cleanup plans and support community involvement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the NC Highway 7 Corridor, which contains multiple brownfield sites, including a mix of abandoned commercial buildings and former mill facilities, and Qualified Opportunity Zones. The priority sites include two areas formerly occupied by textile mills.

Kinston, N.C., Assessment Grant

$300,000

EPA has selected the City of Kinston for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to prepare an inventory of brownfield sites and conduct 12 Phase I and seven Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop three cleanup plans and support reuse planning and community involvement efforts. Assessment activities will focus on the city’s Queen Street Corridor, which contains over 80 brownfield sites made up of abandoned gasoline stations, former industrial sites, and vacant or underutilized commercial and retail buildings.

Salisbury, N.C., Cleanup Grant

$500,000

EPA has selected the City of Salisbury for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the former Kesler Mill/Fieldcrest Cannon Plant #7 located at 423 North Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, which is located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone. A textile mill operated on the site from 1895 until 2003. Since ceasing operation, mill structures, including a large mill house, several warehouses, a machine shop, and a waste house, were demolished and left in large debris piles on the site. The site is contaminated with inorganic contaminants, metals, TCE, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and petroleum hydrocarbons. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities.

Wilson, N.C.: Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, Assessment Grant

$300,000

EPA has selected the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Communitywide grant funds will be used to inventory sites and conduct six Phase I and two Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop three cleanup plans and to support redevelopment planning efforts and public involvement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Town of Littleton and the Rosemary Historic Mill District in the City of Roanoke Rapids. Priority sites include a 54-acre former textile mill that has sat vacant for over 25 years and a severely dilapidated former gasoline station.

Grants awarded by EPA’s Brownfields Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes, while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, brownfields grants are shown to:

Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.

Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5% and 15% following cleanup.

Background

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States. EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $1.6 billion in brownfield grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments have leveraged more than $31 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding, from both public and private sources, leveraged more than 160,000 jobs.

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on April 26-30, 2021, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association.

List of the FY 2020 applicants selected for funding: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2020-brownfields-assessment-revolving-loan-fund-and-cleanup-0

For more on the brownfields grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

For more information about EPA’s role in Opportunity Zones: https://www.epa.gov/opportunity-zones

For information on the studies related to the Brownfields Program’s environmental and economic benefits: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-program-environmental-and-economic-benefits

17798

	Title	Description
	12/2024	Holiday Contests \| Spruce Up Week \| Sculpture Show Call For Artists \| Empire Hotel Phase 1
	11/2024	Holiday Events \| Safe Shopping Tips \| Toss The Grease \| Greenway Committee \| 130 S. Main St. Survey
	10/2024	Halloween Safety Tips \| Sculpture Show Call For Neighborhoods \| Recycling Do's and Don'ts \| Leaf Collection Guidelines and Map \| Fall Spruce Up Week
	09/2024	Downtown Sewer Rehab \| BrewFest at BTG \| BlockWork Volunteers \| Neighborhood Beautification Grant \| Legacy Mural
	08/2024	Take A Tree Tour \| Officer Awarded For Saving Baby \| Sculptures in the Spotlight \| Go Out on a limb for the Tree Board
	07/2024	National Night Out \| Footbridge Repairs \| Approved City Budget \| Citizen's Academy \| Hurricane Prep
	06/2024	EDK Awards \| Street Repaving \| City Budget \| Rec/Senior Center Survey \| Spruce Up Week
	05/2024	Cheerwine Festival: Band Lineup, T-Shirt Contest Winner, Free Shuttles, Safety Guidelines and Ways to Stay Connected.
	04/2024	Strategic Plan \| Mental Health Crisis Line \| BlockWork Call For Neighborhoods \| Paint the Pavement Call For Artists \| Meet the Sculpture Show Artists
	03/2024	Vote on Cheerwine Festival T-shirt Design \| What to do for Water Line Breaks \| Sign Up For RoCo Alerts \| Spring Spruce Up Week
	02/2024	Sign Up To Steer Salisbury \| Save the Date for Cheerwine Festival \| City Begins Budget Process \| Protect Your Pipes This Winter
	01/2024	Holiday Decor Contest Winners \| MLK Celebration Weekend \| Tour Wines and Downtown \| Beautify Your Neighborhood!
	12/2023	Public Art \| Holiday Decor Contest \| Main Street Project \| Winter Spruce Up Week
	11/2023	Holiday Events \| Toss The Grease \| Housing Survey \| Bike Giveaway \| Sculpture Show
	10/2023	Dixonville Cemetery Memorial Dedication \| Halloween Safety Tips \| Empowering Women in Law Enforcement \| Leaf Collection and Map
	09/2023	Rowan Creek Week \| Leaf Collection \| BlockWork Volunteers \| New Deputy City Manager \| Bell Tower Brewfest
	08/2023	An Outdoor Art Adventure \| Summer Program Inspires Youth \| Salisbury Invests In Community \| City Changes Up Departments
	07/2023	Hurricane Season \| RoCo's Homeless Task Force \| Waste Assistance Program \| Citizen's Academy \| Community Fair and National Night Out
	06/2023	Dive into Local Pool \| Humanitarian Awards \| Summer Spruce Up Week \| City Budget Updates
	05/2023	Neon Trees Headline Cheerwine Festival \| Summers Camps \| Smoke Alarms \| Lawn Tips \| Street Resurfacing \| May is Bike Month
	04/2023	Donations for Homeless \| City Election Process \| Landscape of the Month \| Main Street Awards\| Spring Spruce Up
	03/2023	Beautify Salisbury - Litter Sweeps, BlockWork, Adopt-A-Street, We Dig Salisbury \| Cheerwine Festival \| Salisbury311
	02/2023	Protect Your Pipes This Winter \| Join A Board \| City Begins Budget Process \| Recycling In Salisbury \| Recycling Calendar
	01/2023	Downtown Decor Displays Holiday Spirit \| MLK Celebration \| Humanitarian Nominations \| Wine About Winter Tickets On Sale \| Reader Survey
	12/2022	Sculpture Calls For Artists \| Winter Spruce Up Week \| Feedback On Our Future \| Be The Difference With A City Career \| Holiday Recycling
	11/2022	Holiday Events \| Salisbury Youth Council Inducts New Members \| Tips to Shop Safe \| Toss the Grease
	10/2022	Tips for Trick-or-Treaters \| United Way Rowan \| Crime Prevention Month \| 4th Cultivating Community Conversations \| Leaf Collection
	09/2022	Bell Tower BREWFEST \| BlockWork \| Salisbury Police Foundation \| Transit Month \| Rowan Creek Week
	08/2022	Kudos To Lifeguards \| Grant to Fund Flood, Road Sensors \| Funds for Family Water Bills \| City Awarded For Good Health
	07/2022	Sculpture Show \| Citizen's Academy \| Hurricane Season Tips \| West End Survey \| Council Approves Budget
	06/2022	Pool Opens For Summer \| Reels and Riffs: Movie and Music Series \| Wine About Winter ... In Summertime \| Summer Spruce Up Week
	05/2022	New City Manager \| Cheerwine Festival \| Local Humanitarian Awards \| BlockWork Applications Open
	04/2022	Two Headline Bands To Rock Cheerwine Festival \| Spotlight on Fire Safety \| Salisbury Locals Win Big at NC Main Street Awards
	03/2022	Cheerwine Festival Returns \| 5 Ways to Pay Your BIll \| SPD Receives Grant \| Spring Spruce Up Week
	02/2022	Interim City Manager \| Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes \| Apply For A Board \| City Begins Budget Process \| Employee Spotlight
	01/2022	Holiday Storefront Awards \| Social District Proposed \| EDK Nominations \| Wine About Winter \| Winter Spruce Up Week
	12/2021	Be A Part of Our Public Art \| SRU Recognized For Quality \| Don't let FOG Take Your Holiday Down the Drain
	11/2021	Bell Tower Green Now Open \| Keep Salisbury Beautiful \| Shopping Tips For Black Friday
	10/2021	Fire Prevention Week \| BlockWork Looking For Volunteers \| Leaf Collection Map
	09/2021	Safe, Clean Transit \| McCoy Road Culvert Replaced \| Cheerwine Festival Music Lineup
	08/2021	Rowan Creek Week \| Back-to-School Resource Fair \| New Crime Information Center \| Blockwork Awarded Lowe's Grant For $100,000
	07/2021	Salisbury Cease Fire \| Citizen's Academy \| Summer Spruce Up Week \| Sculpture Show
	06/2021	Summer Camps \| Transit Director Award \| Hurricane Tips \| Wine About Winter
	05/2021	City & Partners to Boost Minority Business \| Festival Looks For Volunteers \| BlockWork Nominations Open \| Bike Safety Tips
	04/2021	School Officers \| New Look For Downtown \| Local Humanitarians Receive EDK Awards \| Employee Spotlight
	03/2021	Dixonville Memorial Missing Connections \| New Bill Pay System Coming \| Spring Spruce Up \| Stormwater Survey Seeks Solutions \| Ring In Spring Event
	02/2021	New Fire Station & Memorial Event \| Protect Your Pipes \| Join A Board Or Commission \| Save The Date For Cheerwine \| Employee Spotlight
	01/2021	Holiday Storefront Winners, Celebrate MLK, Main St. Plan, Nominate A Local Hero, Funds For Fire Suppression
	12/2020	SRU Exceeds Water Standard \| Bring On 2021 Virtual New Year's Eve \| Public Input Wanted
	11/2020	Christmas Bike Program Returns \| Showcase Your Art In Salisbury \| Give The Gift Of Water \| Be Safe This Black Friday
	10/2020	ACCESS16 Now WSRG-TV \| Voting Coming Up Fast \| Volunteer For BlockWork \| RCUW Donates Cameras To SPD
	09/2020	Dixonville Memorial Phase 2 \| Leaf Map \| Census 2020 \| ADA/Parantransit Service \| Go Transit Month \| Safe Exchange Zone
	08/2020	Shop Local \| Lock Your Car \| Utility Bills \| Enjoy Art Outdoors \| Census Extended
	07/2020	Citizen's Academy \| Mobile Recreation \| Keep Our Parks Beautiful \| Recycling Can Swap \| Employee Spotlight
	06/2020	Virtual Festival Is Big Hit \| Hurricane Season \| Spring Spruce Up \| City Prepares Next Year's Budget \| Flush Smart \| 2020 Census
	05/2020	Virtual Cheerwine Festival \| From The City Manager \| Play At Home \| BlockWork \| From The Mayor \| Alternative Bill Pay
	04/2020	City Response to COVID-19 \| Helpful Resource \| CAC/Tree Board Awards \| Spring Spruce Up \ SPD Engages With Community
	03/2020	Be Part of the Cheer \| EDK Awards \| 2020 Census \| Hurley Park Spring Celebration \| Forward 2040 \| Fire Station #6
	02/2020	Weathering The Storm \| Nixle Is Now RoCo Alerts \| EyeOnWater Is Smart On Money \| Cheerwine Festival Returns May 16 \| Employee Spotlight \| Census 2020
	01/2020	EDK Nominations \| Runner-Friendly Community \| Start/Change Water Services \| Cheerwine Applications \| Employee Spotlight \| Winterize Your Pipes \| Winter Spruce Up
	11/2019	Bike Giveaway \| Plan For Downtown's Future \| Don't Get Clogged \| Lost Families \| Sculpture Show
	10/2019	Fire Prevention Week \| City Park Lake \| Forward 2040 \| Fall Spruce Up \| Be Ready To Vote \| Employee Spotlight \| Leaf Collection Map
	09/2019	Butterfly Release \| Scoop the Poop \| Dog Swim Party \| Transit Month \| Blockwork \| Neighborhood Officer Map
	08/2019	Salisbury Youth Employees \| New SPD Initiatives \| Youth Baseball Camp \| Brewbury Fest Returns \| Recycling
	07/2019	Keep Salisbury Beautiful \| Save The Date for Cheerwine Fest 2020 \| Back To School \| National Night Out \| Beat the Summer Heat
	06/2019	Sculpture Show Returns \| Summer Camps \| Hurricane Season Tips \| Weather Alerts \| Pool Hours \| #PositiveGossip \| Employee Spotlight \| Summer Spruce Up \| Celebrate Garbage Man Day
	05/2019	Look Behind the Scenes \| Cheerwine Festival \| BlockWork Accepting Applications \| #FeelingCuteChallenge \| Watch Your Water Usage with EyeOnWater
	04/2019	Festival Music Lineup \| Locals Receive EDK Awards \| Business with the City \| SPD Foot Pursuit 5K \| City Nature Challenge
	03/2019	Celebrate Spring At Hurley Park \| Runner-Friendly Community \| Cheerwine Festival Volunteers \| Employee Spotlight \| SPD Ride-A-Long Program \| Contact Directory
	02/2019	Cheerwine Festival Vendor Applications Open \| Get Involved, Apply Now \| Fair Housing Seeks Volunteers \| Council Retreat Open to Public \| Snow Safety \| Employee Spotlight \| Main St. Conference in Salisbury
	01/2019	EDK Nominations \| Holiday Storefront Awards \| Celebrating MLK Weekend \| Employee Spotlight \| Winter Spruce Up Week \| Transit Survey \| New Tools Keeps An Eye On Water

Newsroom

Celebrate Spring With Us At Hurley Park

Cheerwine Festival Looking For Volunteer Groups

Ride-A-Long Program Rides Again

Salisbury to Host NC Main Street Conference in March

Statement from the Office of the Mayor regarding ICE Raids

Employee Spotlight: Mark Drye, Senior Management Analyst

City of Salisbury provides its 2019 Presidents’ Day operation schedule

Get Involved, Apply Now!

City Boards and Commissions Accepting Applications

Main St. Conference Hosted By Salisbury This March

Sixth Chit, Chat & Chew Town Hall to engage Long Street area residents

Media Kit

Categories

Monthly Newsletter

Contact Us

Translate

Salisbury one of Four NC Entities to Receive $1.4 Million for EPA Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment

Frequent Requests

Social Media

City Boards and Commissions Accepting Applications

Media Kit

Categories

Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter

Salisbury one of Four NC Entities to Receive $1.4 Million for EPA Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment