OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Ottawa County has been awarded $500,000 in federal funding to identify and address contamination issues on underutilized properties, known as brownfields. The funding will help transform these contaminated sites into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new economic opportunities for the local community.
Becky Huttenga, the Economic Development Coordinator for Ottawa County, explained that brownfield properties can pose significant health risks, including potential links to cancer, Alzheimer's, and asthma. These hazardous substances can reach people through various exposure pathways, such as children ingesting contaminated soil, the wind carrying particulates, and contamination in drinking water.
"There are so many different ways that properties can be contaminated," said Huttenga. "It could be a dry cleaner, a gas station, an auto repair site."
According to Huttenga, the funding will be used to assess the extent of contamination on these properties and help mitigate the costs for developers. "Before you know anything about what the contamination might be, you're into it for maybe $25,000 of it's an extensive phase two environmental assessment," she said.
By addressing these contamination issues, the brownfield grants will allow underutilized properties to be redeveloped into valuable spaces, such as new businesses, housing, or even green spaces. This, in turn, will put these properties back on the tax rolls, generating revenue for local schools, fire departments, and other community services.
"It creates jobs and housing, and, you know, maybe retail or commercial, or maybe even green space," Huttenga explained.
The specific properties that will receive the funding are yet to be determined, as the county will wait for assessment requests from developers before making those decisions.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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