Tacoma Housing Authority awarded $600K for Salishan, Hillside Terrace cleanup projects

Two public housing re-development projects in Tacoma will benefit from $600,000 in grants from the Federal Brownfields program, which aims to clean up and reinvest in contaminated property in order to reduce blight and protect the environment.

According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials, Tacoma Housing Authority will use the money to remediate units in the Salishan and Hillside Terrace housing developments that have been contaminated from the production, use, and storage of methamphetamine.

“Brownfields grants are catalysts for communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Dennis McLerran. “They jumpstart local projects, bringing valuable real estate back into productive use. Through Brownfields, we’re joining with public and private partners to revitalize blighted property, create more green jobs, and protect public health.”

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 2002, the definition of a Brownfield was expanded to include mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture of illegal drugs. Grant recipients are selected through a national competition.

To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of local Brownfield projects, click on the following links: