Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded communities across New Jersey $2,099,451 in brownfield grants. The money will go to the NJ Economic Development Authority (EDA), the City of Camden, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, Inc., and the City of Jersey City to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the EPA’s Brownfields Program.

“The EPA is providing funding to clean up brownfields across the state. This is a small step in the right direction, but we need to do more. These funds will help plan and get cleanups started, but these projects will need a lot more money. The EPA also needs to be requiring stronger cleanups instead of fast-tracking their cleanup standards. This money is a step in the right direction, but we need more funding,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “They’ve turned lemons into lemonade, but we still have to fill up the pitcher. We need more money from the federal government, and NJ needs to step up too.”

The NJ EDA will receive $800,000 for a Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund. This will provide low-interest loans and sub-grants to carry out cleanup activities in 12 communities that need revitalization. $500,000 will go to Camden, NJ to clean up contamination at the former Borden Chemical Site.

“This money is a down payment for the people of Camden and Jersey City. People in Camden have been dealing with heavy metal and volatile organic chemical contamination from the Borden Chemical Site for decades. In Jersey City, heavy metals and PCBs from the Mill Creek site have been endangering public health for centuries,” said Tittl. “These materials are extremely dangerous to human health and can cause long-term problems like liver disease, cancer, and learning disabilities in children.”

Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, Inc. in Camden will receive $299,451 to identify sites for assessment, assess sites for hazardous substances, complete cleanup and reuse plans, and carry out community outreach activities. $500,000 will go to Jersey City, NJ to clean up Mill Creek at the southern end of Jersey Avenue.

“These funds are a step in the right direction, but it will take billions of dollars to properly clean up each of these sites. New Jersey has more Superfund Sites than any other state in the nation. Currently, abandoned sites can only get cleaned up with taxpayer money – and there is very little of it. We need to reinstate a Superfund Tax because polluters need to be held accountable to fund these cleanups. We also need to make sure these sites are cleaned up properly, not just capped,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “It is vital that we clean up contaminated sites as quickly and completely as possible. The longer we wait, the more we endanger the people and environment of New Jersey.”