U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 - 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

Contact Information: Shannan Beisser, 816-520-1949, beisser.shannan@epa.gov

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 28, 2022) – Yesterday evening in Fort Dodge, Iowa, EPA Region 7’s Land, Chemical and Redevelopment Division Director DeAndré Singletary presented a $250,000 novelty big check to the city of Fort Dodge for their Brownfields grant selection.

The ceremony was hosted by the Fort Dodge City Council in their chambers during their regular business meeting. Singletary was joined by Fort Dodge Mayor Matt Bemrich and Fort Dodge Community and Economic Development Director Vickie Reeck.

The city was selected for cleanup at the Former Greenleaf Healthcare Facility, a former nursing home that is contaminated with inorganic contaminants, including asbestos. Grant funds will also be used to conduct community outreach, such as public meetings, and will go toward developing a website for the project.

“This Brownfields grant is a significant step toward cleaning up contamination at a vacant former nursing home that is a safety hazard for children in the area,” Singletary said. “We are proud to once again partner with Fort Dodge, and we share their commitment to enhancing the lives of those who live near this site by cleaning up contamination and engaging with the community.”

”Fort Dodge is grateful to be awarded funds to help in the cleanup efforts of the former nursing home,” Reeck said. “The property has been vacant for nearly a decade and has continued to deteriorate, detracting from the neighborhood. This cleanup is long overdue and we’re excited to get started.”

This grant is part of $254.5 million in Brownfields grants for 265 selected communities. These grants are supported by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties.

Background

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. 

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held Aug. 16-19, 2022, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open at www.brownfields2022.org.

For more on Brownfields grants, visit: www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-epa-brownfield-grant-funding.

For more on EPA’s Brownfields program, visit: www.epa.gov/brownfields.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7: www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-7-midwest