CLARION TWP., Pa. (EYT) — Governor Tom Wolf on Friday announced the approval of new funding to conduct an environmental assessment of a former industrial site in Clarion County and prepare it for positive use.
“My administration is committed to returning brownfields to public use, and this is the first step in that process,” said Gov. Wolf. “Assessments help determine how a formerly unused site can be transformed and how it can be used to boost the economy and support residents in the surrounding community.”
The Clarion County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) was approved for a $37,344 Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) grant for a two-phase environmental study on the property. The brownfield site located on Route 322 in Clarion Township is approximately 63 acres, 10 of which is developed and has been utilized as a truck stop with fueling and repair services and operations dating back to the 1970s. The Clarion County EDC is applying on behalf of private developer Miles Brothers LLC to purchase the site and clean up the property for use.
“ISRP funding will support the necessary evaluation of the unused, remaining portion of this property,” said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin. “From there, Clarion County EDC can best determine how to appropriately utilize this space to bring opportunity to the surrounding community.”
“Conducting an environmental study is a critical component of revitalizing this former industrial site, as it will ensure that the site is safe for development and re-use,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “I’m pleased to see that this funding will redevelop a brownfield site, which will benefit the community, the economy, and the environment.”
The ISRP provides loans and grants for environmental assessments and remediation carried out by eligible applicants who did not cause or contribute to the contamination. The program is designed to foster the cleanup of environmental contamination at industrial sites, thereby bringing blighted land into productive reuse.
