The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected the City of Ocala to receive a Brownfields Environmental Assessment grant in the amount of $300,000.
OCALA, Fla. (May 9, 2018) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the City of Ocala to receive a Brownfields Environmental Assessment grant in the amount of $300,000.
Ocala is one of three communities selected in Florida and one of 144 communities nationwide. The grant is intended to be used to conduct outreach, Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments, and cleanup planning. The City of Ocala and EPA will work together under a cooperative agreement to assess and if needed, plan for cleanup of underutilized properties while protecting public health and the environment.
“EPA’s Brownfields Program expands the ability of communities to recycle vacant and abandoned properties for new, productive reuses, using existing infrastructure,” said Scott Pruitt, EPA Administrator. “These grants leverage other public and private investments and improve local economies through property cleanup and redevelopment.”
In a media release, the EPA stated the Brownfields Program targets communities that are economically disadvantaged and provides funding and assistance to transform blighted sites into assets that can generate jobs and spur economic growth. A study analyzing 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments 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 brownfield sites. Furthermore, another study found that property values of homes located near brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15 percent after cleanup.
The City of Ocala will issue public notices to announce various actions concerning upcoming grant activities. City staff will conduct outreach efforts once a cooperative agreement is executed between the EPA and the City of Ocala.
For more information, please contact Lisa Walsh, Manager, Economic Development, at 352-629-8381.
