EPA Discusses Community Redevelopment Efforts in Tyler, Wetzel and Monongalia Counties, West Virginia
EPA Deputy Administrator McCabe and EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Ortiz visit Wheeling, Paden City and Morgantown
PADEN CITY, W.V. (Aug. 24, 2022) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leadership visited formerly abandoned sites in northeastern West Virginia today that are undergoing cleanup or have now been revitalized, thanks to funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
EPA’s Deputy Administrator, Janet McCabe, and EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator, Adam Ortiz, visited Paden City and Morgantown, W.V., to tour sites and talk with local community officials, residents, and stakeholders. McCabe and Ortiz spent the morning with biologists from EPA’s Wheeling office taking water samples in Bethany Creek and reviewing progress of ongoing projects to improve the stream’s quality for recreational use.
After the field trip to Ohio and Marshall Counties, the party drove to Paden City to visit the old Corning Glass Works property and met with City councilmembers, the Paden City Development Authority (PCDA), and representatives from West Virginia University Brownfields Assistance Center and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. PCDA purchased the property in 1999 after the Corning Glass factory closed in 1991 and is currently undergoing cleanup funded by a $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup grant announced in May 2021.
In May 2022, EPA also selected PCDA for a $500,000 BIL-funded Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct several environmental site assessments, develop one reuse plan, and to conduct community involvement activities at the 8.6-acre Paden City Industrial Park. The loss of major local employers in the glass industry has significantly impacted Paden City, leading to a population decline of nearly 40% since 1991 and leaving the city’s waterfront lined with industrial skeletons and environmental justice challenges. Utilizing these EPA grants, PCDA’s goal is to revitalize abandoned properties and create jobs.
“President Biden has recognized the importance of EPA’s Brownfields program to help build back our country’s economy with major investments in Brownfields cleanup,” said McCabe. “The Administration’s fiscal year 2023 budget proposal as well as historic $254.5M investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to revitalize communities across the country is having a direct impact on revitalizing communities like Paden City.”
Previous EPA Brownfields funding included a $65,000 Targeted Brownfields Assessment to assess and prepare the site for clean-up, and a $36,000 Technical Assistance grant in 2021 to prepare workforce skills and availability assessment intended to create jobs in uses such as light manufacturing, office or small business incubator space.
“EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, as well as non-profits and other stakeholders to work together in assessing, safely cleaning up, and sustainably redeveloping Brownfields sites into productive use,” said Ortiz. “All this work that we do together helps to transform these contaminated sites into community assets that will attract jobs and achieve broader economic development.”
EPA’s Brownfields program has invested $41 million in 43 communities throughout West Virginia since 1997, leveraging more than $1.6 billion from other sources toward economic recovery efforts and creating 5,400 jobs.
The last stop of the trip included a visit to the Monongalia County and Star City Wastewater Treatment Plant, where a $25.5 million EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan helped to fund a $101 million expansion and upgrade to the facility.
Quote sheet:
Senator Joe Manchin
“West Virginia continues to see the benefits of critical investments from our bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Addressing and restoring Brownfields sites is vital to strengthening our communities, protecting public health and boosting economic development. It is critical that our communities are prepared with the resources they need to clean up Brownfields sites, and I will continue working with the EPA to support these efforts.”
Senator Shelley Moore Capito
“Whether it’s through grant dollars, getting communities added to the Superfund National Priorities List, or the Brownfields grant program, I’ve advocated for needed resources to make site cleanups and water system improvements possible in West Virginia’s cities and towns. The Brownfields grant program has especially helped communities in West Virginia like Paden City assess and improve the quality of their land and make it suitable for future development. Additionally, State Revolving Fund loans are making key upgrades possible, such as at Star City Wastewater in Morgantown. Continuing to invest in both of these successful programs are key parts of our bipartisan infrastructure law, and I’m glad more people will be able to benefit from them in the future.”