Butler County will receive a large federal grant to help with reusing property that may have been contaminated by a hazardous substance.
Mark Gordon, the county’s chief of economic development and planning, says Butler was awarded $600,000 through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program.
‘Brownfields’ are properties that used to house industrial or manufacturing businesses. Even though the businesses are long gone, remnants- like chemicals- could be left in the soils.
“The properties may have been contaminated by a hazardous substance,” Gordon said. “Maybe the property is a former industrial or chemical site, or even something as simple as a service station and a gasoline shop.”
A number of brownfield sites have been identified across the county-including in the city of Butler and the Borough of Petrolia- but specific plots to assess have not been chosen yet.
Gordon hopes the push to test brownfields across the county will give economic development organizations more options while working to attract businesses.