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City receives $1 million EPA brownfield grant; residents invited to give input at June 22 community meeting

SAVANNAH (June 20) -- The City of Savannah has received a $1 million grant to clean up pollution at sites known as brownfields. Savannah is one of four communities in Georgia to receive the grant, which comes through the EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant program.

“The City’s Brownfield program is an opportunity to strengthen our neighborhoods and reinvest in our community by cleaning up environmental health hazards and redeveloping those unused sites into assets like health centers, grocery stores, and affordable housing,” said Office of Sustainability Project Manager Denise Cheeseman. “Whether you’re interested in leadership and volunteer opportunities with the program, you have a site you’d like to nominate, or you’re just curious to learn more, we’re excited to see you on June 22.” 

To gather resident feedback on the use of the grant, the City’s Economic Development Department and Office of Sustainability will host a community meeting on Thursday, June 22 at the Pennsylvania Avenue Resource Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. PARC is located at 425 Pennsylvania Avenue, Savannah GA 31404. Food and childcare will be available at the meeting. Residents can also participate in the community meeting online by visiting www.savannahga.gov/brownfields and clicking the Zoom registration link.

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Background

A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment.