The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Salt Lake County a $1 million community-wide coalition grant for the assessment of brownfields properties in Salt Lake City and Magna Township.
“Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County continue to deliver high-value property cleanup and redevelopment projects with EPA Brownfields grants,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker, also referencing a clean-up grant awarded to the City.
These EPA funds are part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites while advancing environmental justice through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant programs.
Thanks to the historic boost from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding is the largest ever awarded by EPA’s Brownfields MARC Grant programs.
“Salt Lake County is making good on its commitment to clean up our environment, and we are grateful for the EPA’s support,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “These funds will allow us to assess contamination and clear the path for meaningful redevelopment – making the county safer and healthier for all residents.”
The EPA selected Salt Lake County to lead a $1 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition grant for environmental assessments and cleanup plans at more than 20 high-priority sites within Magna Township, western Salt Lake City, and other communities in the County.
The first of these projects will be Magna Main Street, and the Guadalupe neighborhood and the Poplar Grove intersection in Salt Lake City, including former auto repair shops, a former dry cleaner, an abandoned commercial building, and other vacant properties.
Potential reuse of these sites includes plans for affordable housing, retail, and commercial spaces. The county’s partners in the grant include Magna Township and NeighborWorks Salt Lake.
The grant money from this award will help transform these underutilized sites into safe spaces that can be used by Salt Lake County residents for recreation or business development purposes and serve as a example of how federal funds can be used effectively at local levels to create positive change.
