ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE
The NJEDA Receives a USEPA Grant for
Brownfield Cleanup and Redevelopment
“Supporting communities as they work to clean up and revitalize contaminated properties
is crucial for creating vibrant cities and neighborhoods and stimulating economic growth,”
says NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.
Governor Murphy identified brownfield remediation and redevelopment as an important component of
smart planning that will allow New Jersey to meet its goals for economic growth.
Compiled by John Joseph Parker
Contributing Editor
The New Jersey Economic Development
Authority (NJEDA) says it will receive an
$800,000 United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) Revolving Loan
Fund (RLF) Brownfields grant.
“This federal funding will help transform
neglected and contaminated properties into
community resources and will have a profound
impact on people living in Camden,
Jersey City and across the state,” says Senator
Cory Booker. “Now more than ever, it is critical
that we take action to address hazards to
public health.”
The NJEDA can use this funding to capitalize
a revolving loan fund or to provide subaward
grants to communities, developers and nonprofits
carrying out cleanup and redevelopment
activities at brownfield sites. The USEPA also
awarded grants to the cities of Camden and Jersey
City and the nonprofit Cooper’s Ferry Partnership.
In total, the agency provided nearly
$2.1 million to support brownfield remediation
in New Jersey.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker
“Supporting communities as they work to
clean up and revitalize contaminated properties
is crucial for creating vibrant cities and neighborhoods
and stimulating economic growth,”
says NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.
“The USEPA RLF funding will allow us
to provide more comprehensive and effective
support for communities and organizations
working to return contaminated properties to
productive use. This is always valuable, but it
will have a particularly significant impact now,
when resources are stretched thin everywhere
due to COVID-19.”
“This federal funding will
help transform neglected and
contaminated properties into
community resources and will
have a profound impact on
people living in Camden, Jersey
City and across the state,” says
Senator Cory Booker.
NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan
Governor Murphy identified brownfield remediation
and redevelopment as an important
component of smart planning that will
allow New Jersey to meet its goals for economic
growth, minimize the environmental impacts
posed by former industrial properties and help
communities become more sustainable and resilient.
To facilitate brownfields redevelopment,
Governor Murphy has proposed a new set of
programs, including a remediation and redevelopment
tax credit, as well as an enhanced
brownfields loan program through the NJEDA.
In addition to these proposed programs, in
March 2019 the NJEDA and the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
entered into an MOU to expand the Community
Collaborative Initiative (CCI), a program that
embeds NJDEP staff in targeted communities
to help them navigate complex environmental
stressors and set a pathway for successful
remediation and redevelopment. The CCI currently
operates in 12 communities around New
Jersey: Bayonne, Camden, Perth Amboy, Trenton,
Bridgeton, Jersey City, Millville, Newark, Paterson,
Paulsboro, Salem City and Vineland.
While the USEPA RLF grant will be used to
provide low-interest loans and sub-grants to
support brownfield cleanup and redevelopment
throughout the state, the NJEDA’s RLF program
will target the 12 CCI communities, which
have high instances of brownfields, poverty,
health disparities and need for revitalization.
Funds will go toward revitalizing vacant and
abandoned properties to provide community
assets, such as housing, recreation and open
space, health facilities and commerce opportunities.
As borrowers repay these loans, the fund
will re-lend that money to other borrowers, providing
an ongoing source of capital for community
improvement projects.
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