McCook wins hefty EPA grant to clean up abandoned sites

McCOOK, Neb. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $4.5 million in Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) grants to accelerate the cleanup of polluted sites across Nebraska. The City of McCook has just received $500,000 to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.

A brownfield site is an abandoned, idled, or underutilized commercial or industrial property where redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Grant recipients with viable cleanup projects ready for work will help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties.

With these funds, EPA is investing directly in communities to clean up and redevelop blighted properties, delivering on the Trump Administration’s commitment to ensure that clean air, land, and water goes hand-in-hand with economic growth and opportunity.

“Congratulations to our Brownfields selectees in Nebraska,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy. “These grants have the power to transform communities by opening the door to reuse, revitalization, and economic growth. We are proud to deliver these resources to Region 7.”

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and, once these grants are awarded, will have provided over $3 billion in grant funding to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. After selection, awards will be made once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected applicants.

Clean air, land, and water for all Americans is the first pillar of President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative. These grants put that commitment into action while simultaneously powering economic growth in communities across the country.

“EPA is focused on delivering practical results that transform contaminated properties into clean, valuable spaces that spark economic growth and that directly benefit American families,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management Thomas Croci. “Addressing environmental contamination and reusing brownfield properties revitalizes neighborhoods, drives local job creation, and unleashes new economic opportunities.”