Grass Valley has received its fourth EPA grant to help assess contamination from mine-scarred lands and former mill sites. The goal is to eventually allow community development of those areas, depending on cleanup feasibility. But the city’s Community Development Director, Tom Last, says this grant, worth over $598,000, is really unique, because it also can be used by Nevada City and the county…
Last says there’s been a lot of interest expressed by property owners on affected lands. But the grants don’t fund cleanup work and there’s no government money available for private cleanup. He says there are two phases for assessments, with phase one researching the property’s history and potential contaminants…
In its announcement, the EPA says eventual cleanup of these sites will protect human health, clear the way for sustainable infill development, and allow for the continued expansion of the area’s growing tourism industry, which is a driver of the local economy. It says cleanup will also help prevent typical mining contaminants from entering local waterways used by the fishing and recreation industries.
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