City of Corona Receives $400,000.00 in Grants to Revitalize and Green-up Brownfield Sites

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards the city funds to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement related to Brownfield sites.

CORONA, Calif., (July 24, 2008) – The EPA has selected the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Corona as the recipient of two Brownfield assessment grants. Brownfield Assessment grant funds will be used to create a Brownfield inventory and conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to conduct community outreach to keep residents informed of the efforts that the city is making to create a safer environment. And, from the information obtained through the grants, the city will develop a clean-up plan for the future redevelopment of the Brownfield sites in the city.

The Brownfield assessment program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. Since the beginning of the program, EPA has awarded 1,255 assessment grants totaling more than $298 million. This year, a total of 194 grants totaling $38.7 million were awarded.

Corona will receive the funds in October, 2008 and has already started to work by submitting their work plan to EPA with the distinction of being the first new grantee to do so. The benefits derived from this program are multifaceted. Not only will the funds be used to assess the threats to public health, they will be used to involve the community in the best possible reuse for the sites. The grants will aid Corona in bolstering economic development and creating a cleaner and healthier environment for its citizens.