Licking River Greenway Brownfield Coalition
The Licking River Greenway (LRG) is a multifaceted effort to create an urban green corridor from the mouth of the Licking River to the I-275 loop. This green space will wind its way through the cities of Newport, Covington, Wilder, and Taylor Mill, as well as connect to existing attractions in surrounding communities. The plan includes trails, new river access points, improved wildlife habitats, and connections to parks, schools, neighborhoods, and businesses.
The LRG Brownfield Coalition was created to find options for assessing and cleaning up potentially contaminated sites in the LRG region. The Coalition is headed up by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, the City of Covington, and Campbell County, but also receives input and assistance from other non-profit agencies, quasi-governmental agencies, and educational institutions.
The Coalition’s Brownfield Program requires a working partnership with local residents and business owners. We encourage you to review the Community Outreach portion of the website to learn more about how you can become involved. |
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The Grant
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the LRG Brownfield Coalition a $200,000 Petroleum Assessment Grant in the spring of 2010. With these funds, the Coalition estimates it will perform 12-15 Phase I environmental site assessments and 5 Phase II environmental site assessments, as well as plan for the clean-up and reuse of sites identified as contaminated.
Work on the project has already begun, however there is much more to do. The Coalition has gone through the process of soliciting qualifications from environmental consultants, and selecting the firm of Linebach Funkhouser, Inc. (LFI) to perform the site assessments. LFI has worked with the Coalition to create a database of potential sites, and prioritized them according to health hazard, potential for redevelopment, and community input. Please see the information on the Properties page about sites that have been selected. |
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Overview of the EPA and State Brownfield Programs |
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The Kentucky Brownfield Program, through the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (KDEP), seeks to help redevelop and revitalize properties that are abandoned or underutilized due to real or perceived contamination, referred to as brownfield properties. Their program offers assistance with funding for assessments and clean-up of brownfields for any municipality or nonprofit organization. The Kentucky Brownfield Program has been an integral part in helping the Coalition receive their grant from the EPA.
Under the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, the EPA provides financial assistance to qualifying towns, cities, counties, and government agencies through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. The Petroleum Assessment Grant awarded to the LRG Brownfield Coalition provides funds to conduct analysis of soil and water samples, evaluate potential health effects associated with the properties, and come up with clean-up and redevelopment plans for future use of the properties.
The current EPA grant does not provide money for clean-up of the properties, but coalition members plan to submit a proposal for a clean-up grant if necessary. Alternatively, if a private developer or business owner should choose to pay for the clean-up, the Kentucky Brownfield Program can assist with finding tax incentives and credits and liability protection. |
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