Pierce Today

Announce $500,000 For Environmental Assessment Efforts

Tumwater, WA – On June 20, 2023, U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller and the City of Tumwater to tour areas of the 100-acre Olympia Brewery brownfield site to highlight the immediate impact of the $500,000 EPA Brownfields grant on that the City of Tumwater recently received.

"Cleaning up Tumwater's Brewery District and Capitol Boulevard Corridor will protect public health and attract new economic activity to the area,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10). "It was impactful to visit the site and see how funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is being used to help restore this community asset."

“This investment from EPA’s Brownfields program demonstrates the Biden Administration’s commitment to building a stronger neighborhood and spurring economic development in Tumwater,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “This grant will help the community assess contaminated properties, a catalyst for revitalization. We are proud that we can help Tumwater make progress and thrive.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Congresswoman Strickland and the Environmental Protection Agency for supporting community-driven revitalization in Tumwater’s Brewery District and Capitol Boulevard Corridor,” said City of Tumwater Mayor Debbie Sullivan. “The former Brewery properties mean so much to this community, and their legacy has been tarnished by the inability to attract investment due to fears of potential and known contamination. We look forward to working with the EPA, our many partners, and the community on the implementation of this critical grant.”

The FY23 EPA Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant will be used to assess environmental contaminants on the brownfield site. The project is part of the overall vision for Tumwater’s Brewery District and key to the City’s economic development.

The City will use this federal Grant to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans, support community outreach, and facilitate reuse planning activities. The areas included in this Grant are the City’s Brewery District and Capitol Boulevard Corridor.

With historic support from the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA), the latest round of funding is the largest ever in the history of the EPA’s Brownfields MARC Grant programs. More communities than ever are able to assess the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and redevelop brownfield sites across their communities.

Read the initial funding announcement here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-selects-7-washington-projects-receive-45-million-assess-and-clean-contaminated

U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is the Congressional Black Caucus whip, a member of the New Democrat Coalition, one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress, and the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.

Issues: Congress Environment

Original source can be found here.