Brownfields Grant now available to local property owners

This afternoon you are invited to hear about the latest grant money awarded in the Globe-Miami community to help assess environmental contamination in many of our old and/or abandoned buildings. The event is hosted by the Gila County Industrial Authority (IDA) and will include remediation expert, Tod Allwin who has over thirty years experience in the art and science of environmental clean up. The IDA applied for and was awarded a $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct Phase 1 and 2 environmental assessments.

The EPA grant is being used to conduct studies for asbestos, petroleum, and hazardous substances for commercial buildings and properties along Highway 60 in Globe-Miami.

There is an Open House from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. at the train depot on north Broad street in Globe. Everyone is invited to stop by and get their questions answered and learn more about this exciting program which will facilitate reuse and development along the Hwy 60 corridor. 

It's easy to associate environmental contamination with properties previously used as gas stations or chemical facilities, but did you know that even an old hotel or school may contain contaminates because of old boiler rooms which ran on heating oils?  There are also the old laundries, dry cleaners, and pharmacies which are likely to have some kind of contamination because of the chemicals, solvents and toxic fumes associated with these industries.

According to Allwin, banks made a change in the '90s after they had made loans on properties that they later had to take back, only to find they were sitting on real property that contained contamination which they were now liable for. Todays' banking environment with it's stricter regulations now require all commercial buildings and properties to conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prior to obtaining traditional bank financing.

The current grant funding is a windfall for property owners who qualify,  so that the issue of environmental contamination is not an unknown. Instead of assuming there is contamination and assuming what that might cost - the Phase 1 and 2 assessments provide both seller and buyer with good information and allows investment to move forward.

In an earlier press release the IDA explained that the grant "covers the cost of the Environmental Site Assessment on behalf of the property owner. Assessment grants provide funding for developing inventories of brownfields, prioritizing sites, conducting community involvement activities and conducting site assessments and cleanup planning related to brownfield sites. Assessment grant funds may not be used to conduct cleanups."