U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. recently applauded $3 million in funding New Jersey will receive to clean up Brownfields sites. Specifically, the Monmouth Conservation Foundation will receive $500,000 to conduct an environmental site assessment and develop cleanup and reuse plans for 210 acres in Red Bank. The project will prioritize the Red Bank Landfill and surrounding areas.
“I’m glad to see that the Monmouth Conservation Foundation in my district is receiving federal funding to clean up contaminated land in Red Bank. It’s great to see that New Jersey is benefitting from funding I included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress and is helping communities across our state repurpose the land and return it to good use,” Pallone (D-6th Dist.) said. “Today’s announcement will help build on our progress to clean up and revitalize these contaminated sites so we can generate new jobs and economic opportunities.”
“On behalf of the borough, we truly value the collaboration and partnership with the Monmouth Conservation Foundation,” Red Bank Mayor Billy Portman said. “Our need to remediate this contaminated site and desire to provide a healthy environment for our residents is highlighted in this award. The borough looks forward to developing a mitigation plan and utilizing this money to its fullest when determining the path forward.”
The funding will be distributed through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup program that helps transform what were once polluted, vacant and abandoned properties into community assets, helping to spur economic revitalization in underserved communities.
The grant will enable the completion of the assessment of Red Bank’s former landfill and neighboring Brownfield sites on the borough’s west side, to plan for remediation and to develop plans for the future park.
In 2022, Pallone announced that New Jersey received $6.5 million to clean up Brownfields sites through the first round of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including:
- $3.5 million for the Camden Redevelopment Agency;
- $2 million for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for Perth Amboy, Atlantic City, Bridgeton, Jersey City, Millville, Paterson and Trenton;
- $500,000 for Asbury Park; and
- $500,000 for Hamilton Township.
Pallone authored the legislation that created the Brownfields program. In 2018, his bipartisan bill to reauthorize the program was passed in a federal spending bill and provided more flexibility for states and nonprofits to clean up Brownfields sites. In 2022, Pallone held a hearing on the program in his Energy and Commerce Committee and heard directly from local leaders, including the mayor of Elizabeth, about the Brownfields program and how more funding and flexibility continues to help communities restore public health and restore economic prosperity.
