Hernando city officials have learned they will be receiving a $409,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant. Hernando is one of six Mississippi communities to receive the EPA grant.
Community and Economic Development Director Gia Matheny said the city is pleased to receive the grant funding.
“Using the EPA Brownfields Assessment grants have improved economic development in Hernando,” Matheny said. “The private sector leverages the grant funds to evaluate their properties that have or are perceived to have an environmental issue at no cost to the property owner. The funds are also used for educational outreach in the community playing a big part in communicating the benefits of the program, and may include incentives for a redevelopment project.”
The grant will be used as a tool for property owners in Hernando who may be interested in a reuse or to sell their site for redevelopment.
According to information from the EPA, Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination, to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms.
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.
You can read the EPA news release on the grant awards here:
