In May 2014, the Town was awarded $400,000 related to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Assessment Program. These funds will be split evenly, with $200,000 allocated to sites with potential hazardous substances and the remaining $200,000 to sites with potential petroleum contamination. The grant enables the Town to perform a number of actions; the main objectives will be to conduct public involvement activities, develop an inventory of potential brownfield sites, complete environmental site assessments, and create cleanup and redevelopment plans.

Over the next couple months (June – September), the Town will be searching for eager community members to participate in this program and be part of the obligatory advisory board. Team members (approximately six to ten people) will attend regularly scheduled meetings to prioritize sites for assessment, bring any unidentified properties of concern up for discussion, receive project updates that they will in turn share with the communities they represent, and give their opinions on redevelopment options, health and/or environmental concerns, and overall project progress. They will essentially serve as the liaison between the citizens of Aberdeen and the brownfields project. The board will be influential in ensuring the sustainable redevelopment of our brownfield sites.

If you would like to be considered as a candidate for this advisory board, please contact Community/ Downtown Development Planner, Daniel Martin at (910) 944-7024 by September 1st. This program officially commences on October 1st and the goal is to have the board in place by the start date, in an effort to get the most out of these funds for the Town of Aberdeen.