The Land Bank has launched an initiative to help jurisdictions proactively address contamination on brownfield sites and eventually return the properties to productive use. The recent award of a $500,000 grant from the USEPA’s Community-wide Brownfield Assessment Program and an MCLB commitment of $50,000 makes this program possible.
The services being offered include technical expertise, legal support and financial resources to take the first steps toward remediation. The program is designed to assist communities, especially smaller ones that don’t have the experience and staffing to deal with the complexities of the environmental remediation process.
The grant, which comes with no match requirement, provides funding to pursue Phase 1 studies and/or Phase 2 sampling for contamination.
Montgomery County communities have been invited to learn more about program details at an information meeting on Nov. 15.
“The vision is for the Land Bank to become a regional resource for brownfield resolution,” said Executive Director Mike Grauwelman. “We hope our efforts to restore troubled real estate will become the catalyst for redevelopment opportunities that benefit communities.”
