The Ashtabula County Port Authority won a $99,000 Ohio Development Service Agency (ODSA) Abandoned Gas Station clean up grant for 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. The grant will be used to remove underground storage tanks and remediate soil, and was awarded during the first funding round of the new OSDA funding program. 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.
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, during four competitive rounds. Grants can be obtained for Phase II environmental site assessments, maximum $100,000, and for clean-up, maximum $500,000. A fast-track, non-competitive, open application, is also available for sites requiring only UST removal and closure up to $100,000.
Political subdivisions and land banks, or private companies that enter into an agreement for redevelopment with 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 new program, and to prepare for the next rounds of funding, please contact Tim Brown, (614) 794-3570 x29, or email him at tbrown@gtenvironmental.com.