The US Environmental Protection Agency today announced two grants totalling $400,000 to the Letcher County Conservation District to assess brownfields in Letcher County.
Both grants are under the agency’s Mine Scarred Lands program. One is specifically intended to study petroleum contamination at mine sites. Each grant will result in plans for redeveloping two to three sites chosen as top priorities during the assessment.
Former OSM/VISTA Evan Smith of the Head of Three Rivers Project wrote the grant applications for the district. Current OSM/VISTA Sam Adams will help the district develop a priority list of sites to study. Smith, Adams and Conservation District Chairman Ron Brunty travelled to Covington, Ky., today (April 7) to accept the grants.
Details of the work will be finalized over the coming weeks. The project will begin after July 1, when the Environmental Protection Agency releases the money. Posted by Sam
