The Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) will host public meetings on Tuesday, November 14, in Joliet and Lockport, to share information and is inviting community participation in the Will County Brownfields Program.
The Will County CED was awarded a USEPA Brownfields Assessment Grant for $400,000, to assist with identification and clean-up of brownfield sites in Will County. Brownfield sites are those contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants. Once remediated, former brownfield properties can be developed into a variety of productive uses.
The grant provides funding to identify sites and conduct a range of planning activities, develop site specific clean-up plans, and complete Phase I and Phase II environmental engineering for qualified sites, with a special emphasis on the Des Plaines River corridor in Will County. The Lockport meeting will be held at Lockport City Hall, 222 E. Ninth Street, from 9 to10:30 a.m., with the Joliet meeting at the Joliet Public Library – Ottawa Street Branch, at 4 p.m.
The Center for Economic Development worked closely with the communities of Joliet, Lockport, and Rockdale, plus Will County through the application process. These communities helped develop an outstanding case highlighting Will County’s need to address the environmental and human health issues in brownfield areas.
Beginning in November, organizers will begin working with residents living in the target areas during community meetings to create a thorough site inventory for assessment. Properties identified during community outreach activities will be researched further to evaluate their qualifications for inclusion in the determination of eligibility.
Community engagement is crucial to the success of this assessment grant. Therefore, community meetings have been planned to keep the public informed on project plans and provide project updates. Interested property owners and residents can obtain more information, suggest potential sites, and ask questions. Additional grant and meeting information can be found at willcountybrownfields.com.