Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) announced an EPA grant to the Western Piedmont Council of Governments to assess and plan for the cleanup of “brownfields” – properties deemed contaminated by local, state and federal agencies.

The grant comes as part of the EPA Brownfields Program, which was designed to give state governments and local communities the resources to prevent, assess, clean up and reuse brownfields. “Brownfields” are property, usually former industrial sites, whose redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances. President George W. Bush signed a law in 2002 that directs the EPA to provide financial assistance through grants to assess and plan for the cleanup of such properties.

“By trade I am a realtor, and the first thing I learned about real estate is that God isn’t making any more,” said Congressman McHenry. “This is an occasion where I believe the EPA is acting in a helpful manner to assist in the planning and cleanup of contaminated sites, which, once cleaned up can be made useful to the folks in local communities. I congratulate the Western Piedmont Council for going out and getting this grant.”

The Western Piedmont Council of Governments represents Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties, which have a combined population of over 340,000. With the loss of many textile, apparel, and furniture firms, the area is home to a number of abandoned and dilapidated buildings – some of which may be affecting the area‘s water supply. Cleanup of these sites will help prevent contamination from reaching the water supply and reduce resource consumption by reusing already developed properties.

The council can use the money to create an inventory of brownfields in the four counties, to assess at least one such site, and plan for their cleanup.