The City of Leesville has been awarded a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a significant boost to local redevelopment efforts. With technical assistance from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Louisiana Municipal Advisory and Technical Services Bureau (LaMATS), the grant will facilitate the development of four cleanup plans, support reuse planning, and enhance community engagement activities. “Leesville is important in that there are several properties that could easily be cleaned up and turned into something very productive,” said Dr. John Sutherlin, lead consultant for the LaMATS Brownfields Program. “Half a million dollars will go a long way in terms of assessing properties and putting them back into productive use.” The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grants to empower communities to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfield sites—properties that have been deemed unsuitable for development due to the presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. LaMATS Executive Director Cliff Palmer expressed enthusiasm for Leesville’s success, stating, “We couldn’t be more pleased for Leesville. We thank Dr. Sutherlin and our fine partners at LDEQ for working with Leesville’s dedicated Mayor Rick Allen and team to make this great opportunity a reality.” This funding will allow Leesville to identify and repurpose properties, turning underutilized spaces into thriving developments that benefit the community. For more information on LaMATS’ free brownfields assessment program and how state and federal grants can assist with cleanup efforts, visit lamats.net/brownfields.
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