Marshall County Plan Director Ralph Booker and Joel Markland with BCA Environmental Consultants out of Elkhart presented information about the county’s Brownfield Grant.
Markland said the three-year grant will be closed out at the end of this month.
“The City of Plymouth formed a coalition with the county and the Town of Bourbon and together they were awarded $600,000 to assess brownfields and to plan for cleanup,” said Markland. “It covered both hazardous substances and petroleum. The whole purpose is – it’s a stimulation grant. It’s strictly intended to encourage economic development in communities where brownfields are holding that economic development back.”
A brownfield is a property previously used for industrial purposes or some commercial uses. It may have been contaminated with hazardous waste and the Brownfield Grant helped assess those properties and plan clean up strategies.
Eighteen properties were investigated in the county and 22 properties were tested for contamination or the presence of storage tanks.
Some properties that were deemed brownfields and thus assisted have been sold to pursue economic development. As a result, about 25 jobs were created and over $2 million has been privately invested with 55 acres of land that are ready for use and redeveloped.
The county can now pursue the redevelopment of the properties that have been investigated to get them ready for economic growth.
Marshall County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Jerry Chavez commented that the program works. A property in Bourbon sat vacant for over eight years and the Brownfield Grant helped stimulate activity for business and jobs. The Brownfield Grant helped the owner of the company clear up contamination in order to get clearance to start a factory.
Markland said the county has a good chance of receiving more grant dollars to redevelop properties.
City Attorney Sean Surrisi commented that the grant has been a success in Plymouth and in the county.
Land in Argos, Bremen, Bourbon, Plymouth and Culver were a part of this grant.
