EPA Selects Racine, Wisconsin to Receive $500,000 Brownfields Grant
CHICAGO (May 16, 2021) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the city of Racine, Wisconsin will receive $500,000 to supplement its Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund, or RLF. This grant will help remediate environmental contamination at abandoned industrial and commercial properties that have been targeted for redevelopment.
Brownfield RLF grants enable funding for communities to provide loans and sub-grants for cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned into the fund and re-lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community.
“EPA’s brownfields program is providing critical funding to help empower communities address the environmental, public health and social issues associated with contaminated land,” said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Cheryl Newton. “EPA commends community leaders for using these funds to take vital steps forward to improve the environment and the local economy. These grants underscore EPA’s commitment to lifting up and protecting all communities - especially overburdened and underserved communities.”
To date, EPA has awarded brownfields grants to Racine totaling $2.3 million since 2010. The city has used the EPA grants to clean up three properties, including the Horlick District where redevelopment helped to create or retain 47 jobs. The city has identified seven sites as potential locations for use of the new grant.
“On behalf of the residents of the city of Racine, we’re honored to receive another round of supplementary funding from the EPA for brownfields remediation. Previous EPA funds have been essential to our brownfield redevelopment clean-up efforts. All of our residents deserve a healthy living environment, and these funds will continue to advance our goals of removing contamination from brownfield sites in the city and restoring those properties to productive uses,” said Mayor Cory Mason.
To date, EPA’s RLF grantees across the country have completed 794 cleanups and attracted approximately 48,000 jobs and $16.2 billion in public and private funding.
For more information on EPA’s Revolving Loan Fund program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-revolving-loan-fund-rlf-grants
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields program: