MONTICELLO – Sullivan County has received a $200,000 EPA grant to conduct 14 brownfields environmental assessments and develop three cleanup plans.
County Planning Commissioner Freda Eisenberg said the funds will be used to assess the level of environmental contamination at sites in and around the population centers including the Route 17 and 17B corridors.
“The awarding of the maximum amount of funding under the EPA’s brownfield program is a testament to the diligent work our planning staff does every day to improve the lives of Sullivan County taxpayers,” said County Manager Joshua Potosek. “These funds will make a real difference in our most heavily traveled communities and help us restore pride and value in an array of properties.” He said the county would apply for a second round of EPA funding for remediation, should contamination be found.
In addition to improving the county’s population centers, officials said the use of the funds requires preference be given to project proposals from contractors that hire community residents and/or environmental technicians graduating from the Fortune Society’s Brownfield Job Training Program, which supports individuals in successful re-entry from prison and promotes alternative to incarceration.
