(AGENPARL) – lun 12 giugno 2023 Issued: Jun 12, 2023 (12:10pm EDT)
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Camden, New Jersey Project Slated to Get $1 Million from EPA for Cleanup of
Brownfield Site
Grant selection is part of largest investment ever in brownfields communities
made by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
Camden, NJ (June 12, 2023) – EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia was
joined today by U.S. Representative Donald Norcross and Camden Mayor Vic
Carstarphen to announce that Camden has been selected to get $1 million from
President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the cleanup of
Judge Robert B. Johnson Park. In all, EPA recently selected 262 communities to
receive 267 grants totaling more than $215 million in competitive EPA
Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund,
and Cleanup (MARC) grant programs. Thanks to the historic boost from the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this is the most funding ever awarded in the
history of this EPA Brownfields grant program. EPA anticipates making all the
awards to the selectees once all legal and administrative requirements are
satisfied.
Camden, New Jersey will use the $1 million to clean up the Judge Robert B.
Johnson Park at 723 Carl Miller Boulevard. The 14.7-acre cleanup site was a
former wetland where historic fill material was used to develop the site in
the 1940s and 1950s. The site formerly contained residences and a former
junkyard and was also used by a youth football league and neighborhood
schools. The now-vacant site is contaminated with semi-volatile organic
hydrocarbons, PCBs, metals, and pesticides. Grant funds also will be used to
conduct community outreach activities including hosting three public meetings.
“We’re working across the country to revitalize what were once dangerous
and polluted sites in overburdened communities into more sustainable and
environmentally just places that serve as community assets. Thanks to
President Biden’s historic investments in America, we’re moving further
and faster than ever before to clean up contaminated sites, spur economic
redevelopment, and deliver relief that so many communities have been waiting
for,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This critical wave of
investments is the largest in Brownfields history and will accelerate our work
to protect the people and the planet by transforming what was once blight into
might.”
“Camden has such an impressive track record of success with its Brownfields
program, which has helped address neglected local areas by providing a means
to revitalize abandoned properties and promote environmental health, economic
growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F.
Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and the new
funding through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gives
communities like Camden an opportunity to continue to make a real and lasting
on-the-ground difference.”
“Today’s announcement will transform a once contaminated site into
a new vibrant community space in Camden and I am proud to have helped secure
this $1 million in federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure
bill,” said Senator Bob Menendez. “The historic investments we are making
to reclaim and restore brownfields is vital to ensuring environmental justice
for underserved communities and communities of color that too often shoulder
the burden of legacy pollution. I am equally proud that an institution like
New Jersey Institute of Technology will be receiving $5 million to provide
training and technical assistance to communities conducting brownfields work
across the state.” 
“In communities across New Jersey, especially those that are Black, Brown,
and low-income, residents live next to harmful contaminants, breathe in dirty
air, and lack access to clean water and soil,” said Senator Cory Booker.
 “Thanks to the efforts of the Biden Administration, these communities are
finally receiving the federal resources needed to remediate these
environmental injustices. The grant funding announced today, made possible by
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I was proud to vote for,
will continue this vital work by empowering the City of Camden to revitalize a
former park that was polluted with toxic metals and pesticides.” 
“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to deliver for South
Jersey through this Brownfield Grant that will create jobs, advance
environmental justice, and spur economic revitalization,” Rep. Donald
Norcross said. “Protecting our communities from harmful waste and pollution
and repurposing these sites has been one of my top priorities since coming to
Congress. I’m proud to have helped secure this funding, and I will continue
to fight to improve our quality of life, protect our environment and ensure a
healthy and safe environment for South Jersey families.” 
“New Jersey thanks the Biden Administration and our congressional delegation
for prioritizing investment in environmental justice communities both within
the Garden State and across the nation,” said New Jersey Governor Phil
Murphy. “For far too long, communities under economic stress have lacked the
resources necessary to launch large-scale environmental remediation projects.
This significant Brownfields grant program funding will enable the City of
Camden to promote environmental and public health while prioritizing community
engagement.”
“Today we can all take pride in continuing with the transformation of
Camden’s industrial history to ensure we have spectacular and tangible parks
that offer diverse recreational opportunities for residents, visitors and
businesses,” said Elizabeth Dragon, Assistant Commissioner for Economic
Development and Community Revitalization in the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection. “The DEP is committed to working with our many
partners in Camden and other overburdened communities across the state to
provide equitable opportunities to access and enjoy our open and green spaces.
We thank the EPA for providing this brownfields grant to Camden, which is
allowing the city to continue its transformation, improve the quality of life
for its residents, and promote sustainable growth. Congratulations to Camden
on this remarkable achievement.” 
“This park is incredibly important to the city of Camden, especially the
residents of the Liberty Park and Centerville neighborhoods, which is why we
are investing more than $2 million to rebuild it once the environmental
remediation is completed,” said Commissioner Jeff Nash, liaison to the
Camden County Parks Department. “This has long been a place for the
community to gather and enjoy so ensuring that it’s safe and in the best
condition possible, is a top priority for us.”
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency for their continued support and recognition of our efforts. This grant
reinforces our commitment to creating a sustainable and vibrant future for
Camden. This funding will directly contribute to the remediation of Robert B.
Johnson Park, an important community space in the Liberty Park neighborhood.
By reclaiming this park and making it safe and accessible for our community
members, particularly our youth and families,” said Mayor Vic Carstarphen.
“I would also like to acknowledge the collaborative efforts of our dedicated
partners, including Congressman Donald Norcross, the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection, Camden County Board of Commissioners, and the Camden
Redevelopment Agency. Together, we are driving positive change and creating a
stronger and more resilient Camden. As we move forward with this project, we
remain committed to promoting environmental justice and sustainable
development. Camden is a city with a rich history and strong sense of
community, and this grant allows us to continue our journey towards a cleaner,
healthier, and more prosperous city for all.”
“It is the Camden Redevelopment Agency’s pleasure to partner in the
revitalization of Judge Robert Johnson Park. This is an iconic open space
asset for the City and Liberty Park neighborhood. At a time when
environmental equity is a priority throughout the nation, we are proud to be
an agent for change collaborating with such a strong team,” said Olivette
Simpson, Interim Executive Director and Board Secretary for Camden
Redevelopment Agency. “This $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency is critical to leveraging other resources that will fully
fund the estimated $3 million clean-up effort, leading to the Park’s
state-of-the-art re-design and construction improvements. The commissioners,
staff, and I are looking forward to doing our part to transform Judge Robert
B. Johnson Park in into a safe, green, recreational space.”
These investments are part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
to grow the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from
rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $470 billion in
private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United
States, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good paying
jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy
economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more
resilient.
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in
areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources
needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As
brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs,
promote economic revitalization and transform communities into sustainable and
environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities
than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental
challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and
environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40
Initiative to direct 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal
investments to disadvantaged communities. The Brownfields Program strives to
meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity
considerations into all aspects of its work. Approximately 84 percent of the
MARC program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in
areas that include historically underserved communities.
You can read more about the most recent selectees, here.
Brownfields Technical Assistance Providers and Research Grants
EPA also previously announced funding selection for two Brownfields technical
assistance opportunities. The Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB)
selectees provide specialized technical knowledge, research, and training to
help stakeholders understand brownfields-related subject matter, and guide
them through the brownfield assessment, clean-up, and revitalization process.
This assistance is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s
commitment to advance economic opportunities and address environmental justice
issues in underserved communities. This technical assistance is available to
all stakeholders and comes at no cost to communities. The two funding
opportunities announced today include the following:
EPA selected New Jersey Institute of Technology to receive $5 million to
provide training and technical assistance to communities across the state
under the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities Program. This
funding comes entirely from the historic $1.5 billion investment from
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
EPA is also expanding the scope of its technical assistance offerings under
the Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program to include three new
subject-specific grants totaling $2 million in three areas, including
providing technical assistance to nonprofits seeking to reuse brownfields;
provide research, outreach, and guidance on minimizing displacement resulting
from brownfields redevelopment; and providing outreach and guidance on land
banking tactics for brownfields revitalization.
More information about Brownfields Technical Assistance and Research.
Success of the Brownfields Program and National Conference
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support
the reuse of brownfield sites. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced
today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37
billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties
and return blighted properties to productive reuse. EPA’s investments in
addressing brownfield sites have leveraged more than $36 billion in cleanup
and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal
funding has leveraged, from both public and private sources, nearly 260,000
jobs. Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these
resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully
leverage an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds
spent and $19.78 for every dollar.
The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 8-11,
2023, in Detroit, Michigan. 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).
For more on Brownfields Grants. 
More on EPA’s Brownfields Program.