Illinois Congresswoman Bustos Announces $3.9 Million to Tackle Polluted Brownfield Sites
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, announced that the Biden Administration has awarded Rockford, Illinois, $3.9 million in grants to supplement the city’s Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund. With these funds, the City of Rockford will expand loan and grant opportunities for property owners and communities to clean up contaminated sites.
“Communities across Northwest and Central Illinois are burdened by abandoned commercial properties – many so polluted that property development isn’t possible,” said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. “Today, I’m proud to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to announce $3.9 million in grants for the City of Rockford to help clean up these properties and pave the way for growing economic opportunity. I look forward to seeing how this important funding will revitalize properties and improve the community.”
Cheri Bustos
Today’s grants are supported by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted or hazardous brownfield properties.
Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination, to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks and solar farms.
