FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — The City of Fairmont was recently granted a $500,000 grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a part of its Brownfields program.

The EPA recently announced $5,466,235 to cover 10 overall resources throughout West Virginia. The City of Fairmont received its grant from the EPA to provide funding to not only assess properties but also help the local market, such as local owners, business owners, and residential developers. 

The Brownfield Program is known for assisting local governments and states with brownfield issues, such as assessments or remediations for properties.

Several of the other WV Individual awards include:

  • $1,000,000 – West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
  • $968,438 – Marshall University
  • $500,000 – Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle
  • $500,000 Harrison County Economic Development Corporation
  • $500,000 City of Morgantown
  • $500,000 New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
  • $500,000 Region 2 Planning and Development Council (Logan and Mingo Counties)
  • $497,697 Pocahontas County Commission

The program would be used in The City of Fairmont to attend to abandoned, underused, or ran down industrial and commercial properties that have hazardous effects on the community.

Shae Strait, the City of Fairmont’s Director of Planning and Development, said “The city is very excited because this is the largest funding amount we’ve ever received from the EPA, for an assessment grand, and with that we’re hoping to have a greater impact on positive redevelopment within our community. So, we hope folks reach out to us in the future, once this funding is available to be used, and so, we can assist them on their projects and get great things happening in the city of Fairmont.”

The funding also helps determine what properties are viable to begin a project or take those extra steps to deem it necessary to make the property work out. The department will then guide through whether a project may or may not be eligible, and what they can do with the funding to help.

For more information or assistance, you can contact the City of Fairmont’s Planning and Development Department- 304-366-6212, ext. 333.

To learn more about the EPA Brownfields Program: Brownfields | US EPA