The Ashtabula County Port Authority implemented their $99,000 Ohio Development Service Agency (ODSA) Abandoned Gas Station assessment/clean up grant at a former gas station located at a key intersection in Austinburg, Ohio. GT Environmental, Inc. (GT) assisted the Port Authority in preparing the grant application, provided oversight to remove four underground storage tanks, and conducted a Tier 1 site investigation under the Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulation (BUSTR). The next step for the Port Authority is to apply for supplemental ODSA funds to remediate soil at the property. The property is located near the Western Reserve Greenway, and may be developed into a greenspace/rest spot for bikers and runners on the trail, with the possibility of including a local food/farmer’s market. More details about the project can be found in this article from the Ashtabula Wave.
In addition, the Port Authority recently won another $100,000 ODSA assessment/remediation grant for an abandoned gas station in Pierpont, Ohio. Congratulations on winning another ODSA grant!
The $20 Million Abandoned Gas Station Fund was established from monies left over from the old Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund within ODSA, and will be available over the next 2 years. Grants can be obtained for Phase II environmental site assessments, maximum $100,000; and for clean-up, maximum $500,000.
Political subdivisions and land banks are eligible for the funds. These sites must have the “Class C” designation from BUSTR, meaning that there are no viable parties responsible for the release, the party seeking funds is not a responsible party, and the site is not under BUSTR enforcement. The sites must also have a confirmed release from the UST system.
To get more information on the program, and to assist in preparing grant applications, please contact Larry Smith, Brownfield Redevelopment Manager, (614) 794-3570 x18, or email him lsmith@gtenvironmental.com.
Picture from the Ashtabula Wave.