October 9, 2023 |
Photo – Strand Theater in Rawlins – Bigfoot99 file photo
The first Brownfields grant informational meeting is happening this Wednesday in Rawlins.
Most municipalities in Carbon County are well over a century old. Safety standards have changed dramatically in that time. Commonly used products, like asbestos and heavy metals, are no longer considered safe. Cleaning the hazardous materials from contaminated properties is often prohibitively costly. Too costly for most property owners.
In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency created the Brownfields program specifically to address the high cost of cleaning up contaminated buildings and properties.
The city of Rawlins has applied for and received a $500,000 Brownfields grant from the federal government. Rawlins Brownfields committee member Pam Thayer said the city is holding a meeting this Wednesday to provide information about the scope of the Brownfields grant.
The federal grant will pay for the city to determine if contamination exists on a property, called a level one environmental site assessment. If hazards are found, the grant will also pay to find out how extensive the contamination is, called a level two environmental site assessment.
Thayer said Wednesday’s meeting is open to all property owners, or potential property owners, who are interested in finding out if their land qualifies for Brownfields money. Thayer said the goal of the program is to rehabilitate the properties for future use.
Thayer encouraged anyone who thinks their property may be contaminated to attend Wednesday’s meeting. Thayer said the meeting is just the first step in the Brownfields project.
Thayer said the Brownfields grant will be used to determine if a property is contaminated. However, she said participation in the Brownfields program does not obligate the property owner to do anything with their land. Thayer said the study is simply to provide information to property owners.
Thayer said a property doesn’t need to be contaminated to benefit from the Brownfields grant. Thayer said the grant will also pay for the city to help property owners determine how to develop their land.
Representatives from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Kansas State University’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields program will be present at Wednesday’s meeting to walk attendees through the process.
Rawlins Public Information Officer Mira Miller said Carbon County Economic Development Corporation will hold its own Brownfields meeting four hours before the city’s meeting. Held in the same location, Miller said the CCEDC will host the same representatives, but will focus more on state funded Brownfields opportunities.
According to the most recent City View Newsletter, the Rawlins Brownfields committee has identified four properties in need of environmental studies: The Golden West Motel, Ferguson Building, Pink Motel, and Strand Theater. Brownfields committee member Thayer said the city has enough grant money for studies to be performed on 19 properties.
The Brownfields grant kickoff meeting is this Wednesday, October 11th, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Jeffrey Memorial Community Center in Rawlins. The meeting is free to attend.
