Terri Sewell announces $7.8 million in EPA funding to clean up brownfield sites in Selma, Montgomery

Rep. Terri Sewell has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently allocated $7,830,500 to clean up several brownfield sites in Selma and Montgomery, and support several environmental entities in Alabama. 

The funding was awarded through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs and was also made possible by President Biden’s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority was given a $556,000 grant to clean up the .5-acre Craig Field Gym Complex located at Building 316, Avenue C in Selma. The funds will also go into creating a community involvement plan and to host community events. 

$1,274,500 was given to clean up the location of the old Baptist Hospital located at 15 Riverview Avenue in Selma. It served as a hospital from 1924 to 1978. It currently has a collapsed roof and weathered walls, and is contaminated with benzo(a)pyrene and inorganic contaminants.

Funds will also be used for a community involvement plan and to use the building for community events. 

The City of Montgomery was selected for an assessment grant to conduct 13 Phase I environmental site assessments and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. 

The assessments will occur in the West Montgomery and Centennial Hill communities with priority sites to include the historic Ben Moore Hotel, two abandoned dry cleaners, and a 3-acre former gas station and auto repair shop.

Assessment grants were given to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in the amount of $2,000,000; 

East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission in the amount of $1,500,000; the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments in the amount of $500,000; and the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments in the amount of $1,500,000.