Frankfort, Ky – Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) today congratulated the City of Frankfort on receiving a $600,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA Brownfields program empowers states and communities to assess and clean up hazards in local areas. A “brownfield,” for purposes of the grant, is deemed a formerly contaminated site that, once cleaned up, can be repurposed and reused – not only cleaning up the environment, but allowing these areas to be used for economic development within communities.
“I applaud the EPA for the allocation of funding to the City of Frankfort, as the capital of our Commonwealth, this funding will be vital for socioeconomic development in the area,” said Congressman Barr. “The City of Frankfort now has the opportunity to revitalize the local community and economy without being hindered by environmental contamination.”
The Brownfields program is designed to address local environmental challenges, in an effort to improve the health, safety and overall quality of life in these communities. This funding will assist the City of Frankfort in focusing on improvements to the Holmes Street Corridor, Capital Plaza Area and Riverfront neighborhood. To date, the EPA’s Brownfields program has helped clean up over 2,000 properties and leverage more than 160,000 jobs.