EPA awards nearly $1.3M grant to Mendota

Mendota is getting nearly $1.3 million to clean up a brownfield, a two-parcel site that included a dry-cleaning business and farm implement/auto parts retailer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday the release of $17,833,610 in grants from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Illinois while advancing environmental justice.

These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund grant programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.

According to an EPA news release, Mendota was awarded a $1,270,305 Brownfields cleanup grant to clean up the former Campbell Cleaners property. The 0.25-acre cleanup site has two parcels. The southern parcel was used as a steam laundry and dry cleaners, and the northern parcel was used for farm implementation sales and service as well as an automotive parts retailer. The site is vacant and contaminated with volatile organic compounds and metals.

“We are thrilled to have received the Brownfield grant,” said Emily McConville, Mendota city clerk and director of economic development. “We plan to hold a full press conference in June to share more details about the grant and how it will help with the cleanup and planning at the 800 block of Illinois Avenue.

“We decided to wait until June to hold the press conference because we were informed of another grant award that will be announced at a press conference on Thursday, May 30.”

EPA selected a total of seven communities in Illinois to receive grants totaling $9,883,610 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding. In addition, the agency announced $7,950,000 in supplemental funding to three existing, high-performing brownfields revolving loan fund grant programs to help expedite their continued work at sites Illinois.

“The North Central Illinois Council of Governments is excited to be awarded the U.S. EPA Brownfield Coalition Grant Award,” said NCICG Executive Director Kevin Lindeman. “This funding allows NCICG and its project partners, the cities of Marseilles, Mendota, Peru and Streator to assess the need for brownfield remediation in the project target areas, better positioning the region for private investment and redevelopment. This grant will help take the next step in doing the assessments to work towards the ultimate goal of cleanup of sites.”