91视频

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the city of Portland a $500,000 grant to continue its brownfield program that helps transform vacant properties where contamination is a concern into sites ready for redevelopment.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled that Portland has been selected for this grant, made possible through the bipartisan infrastructure law,鈥� Commissioner Mingus Mapps stated in a press release. 鈥淭hese dollars will help turn polluted properties into productive ones, and I鈥檓 particularly proud that the city will focus this grant on areas of East Portland and North and Northeast Portland to help turn vacant sites into affordable housing and other needed uses.鈥�

The federal grant provides three years of funding for the Portland Brownfield Program. The city will continue to offer environmental site assessments of commercial properties that previously held gas stations, dry cleaning businesses and others where past contamination is a barrier to redevelopment.

Soil and groundwater contamination can continue to impact a property for decades afterward. The Portland Brownfield Program offers current property owners financial and technical assistance to address this legacy.聽With past EPA grants, the city has helped more than 70 projects, including some that produced parks and gardens, small business spaces, and community nonprofit offices.

One of the key targets for the new grant money is affordable housing development. Currently, Sabin Community Development Corp. is benefiting from Portland Brownfield Program assistance for such a project. Sabin CDC used money from a previous EPA grant to deal with environmental issues on a site that formerly held a gas station. The Isaka Shamsud-Din Estates project will create 29 affordable housing units.

The EPA grants are providing $254.5 million to aid brownfield remediation. Portland is one of eight recipients in Oregon.