EDA Approves Six New Grants for Environmental Cleanups; New Brownfields Assistance to Municipalities Totals $888,000.

Business & Environmental Editors

TRENTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 2001

Six new grants for municipal projects to investigate and reclaim environmentally contaminated brownfield sites for new commercial and residential development have been approved by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) through the state's Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund program.

The sites are located in the communities of Clayton, Irvington, Newark (two sites), Plainfield and South Plainfield.

"The Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation program has now assisted more than 500 projects and provided more than $40 million to enable New Jersey municipalities to improve environmentally contaminated land. Redevelopment of these brownfield sites creates new businesses, new housing, new tax ratables and new opportunities for the cities and towns of our state," says Anthony R. Coscia, chairman of the EDA.

Caren S. Franzini, executive director of the EDA, notes, "This brownfields program has enabled municipalities to take sites like former gas stations, abandoned manufacturing buildings and contaminated former residential building lots and restore them environmentally so that they can be reused for constructive new development."

She explains, "Program funding is available to New Jersey municipalities for sites they have acquired through foreclosure or purchase or on which they hold tax sale certificates. Municipalities can apply for grants or loans under the program, which also can be accessed by businesses and other private entities."

The program is operated jointly by the EDA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP reviews applications to determine eligibility and the scope of work needed to investigate and restore each site. The EDA manages the fund and makes grants or loans to projects the DEP finds eligible.

The program provides funds for preliminary assessment of suspected contaminated sites, investigation to collect and evaluate data about the environmental contamination of a site, remedial investigation to examine contamination and the problems associated with it, and remedial action to design cleanups of contaminated sites.

Susan Boyle, assistant commissioner for the DEP's Site Remediation Program, says, "By providing financial assistance to municipalities from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund, contaminated properties are cleaned up and redevelopment is encouraged in a way that protects the environment and promotes good planning and open space initiatives in the state."

Municipalities can apply for funding for sites as long as they were not used officially by the local government, and can qualify for up to $2 million per year in total grant and loan assistance for all projects within their boundaries.

The six new grants are:

-- Clayton Borough, $49,283, to complete the investigation on the site of P.J.
Auto at 414 South Delsea Drive. Clayton received an earlier grant of $49,000
for the initial site investigation.

-- Irvington Township, $85,004 for investigation of a site at 1138 Grove St.,
which is now the location of an abandoned industrial building. Irvington plans
to redevelop the property as a commercial storage warehouse, and has identified
a possible buyer. Preliminary assessment of the site was funded with a prior
program grant of $100,460.

-- Newark, $78,730 for additional investigation to complete site remediation of
a former gas station site located at 912 South Orange Ave. The city previously
received a program grant of $38,619 for preliminary assessment of the site,
which the city owns.

-- Newark, $302,848 for preliminary assessment and site investigation and
remediation at 55 Virginia St., a 6.1 acre site that formerly housed the Orbis
Products Corporation. The city owns the site, which is part of a planned
redevelopment area.

-- Plainfield, $284,095 to complete investigation of the Second Street
Redevelopment Site. Two prior grants totaling $297,499 funded preliminary site
assessment and initial site investigation.

-- South Plainfield, $88,178 to begin remediation of a site at 304 Pulaski St.
being reclaimed for industrial redevelopment. A prior grant of $93,555 funded
preliminary assessment and site investigation.

Municipalities seeking additional information about the program can contact the DEP at [phone] or contact the EDA at [phone] or by e-mail to [e-mail].

The EDA was established in 1974 to build business and create jobs. It has arranged more than $14 billion in financing since its inception. For more information about its programs, call [phone] or visit EDA's web site at www.njeda.com.