WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced more than $66 million in grants to 151 communities nationwide to assess and clean up contaminated or abandoned "brownfields'' — industrial and commercial properties that contain a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
An estimated 450,000 brownfields, including abandoned industrial facilities, waste disposal sites and former gas stations, plague cities, towns and rural areas throughout the country. “This is a significant opportunity for environmental justice communities and rural communities that for far too long have been living with blighted pieces of property.