Nanticoke, PA -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected Penn's Northeast member and nonprofit group Earth Conservancy to receive funding for brownfields site revitalization to help local governments redevelop vacant and unused properties, transforming communities and local economies. Earth Conservancy is receiving $600,000 in federal grants for environmental projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke in Luzerne County.
Michael A. Dziak, Earth Conservancy president and CEO, thanked all parties Thursday involved in helping the Ashley-based group get federal grants totaling $800,000. The money will go to projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, plus a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans.
The same group, based in Ashley, is also receiving another grant for $200,000 for a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans.
The $600,000 is for brownfield site revitalization. Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites - including old mine land - where future use is affected by environmental contamination.
“This is a great day for Earth Conservancy,” said Cecil A. Rodrigues, acting administrator for EPA's Mid-Atlantic Region. Rodrigues said days like Thursday are vital because it illustrates how the EPA collaborates with non-governmental organizations “to make a better place to live.”
The Hanover Township project will cover two Bliss Bank parcels, 200 acres of former mining land. The reclamation will move northeast below the Wilkes-Barre Mountain. When completed, the area could be home to mixed-use development, including recreational sites.
The total grant award for the Hanover reclamation project is $400,000. The total projected cost is $1.4 million.
The Nanticoke work will focus on restoration of a segment of Espy Run, a stream which feeds into Nanticoke Creek. Espy Run has been tainted by acid mine drainage.
Elizabeth Hughes, director of communications for Earth Conservancy, said the projects will begin in October.
‘Meaningful employment'
While the EPA is known for its environmental programs, it actually does much more. For instance, officials also announced a $200,000 grant for a workforce training program tailored to veterans.
The grant comes via the EPA's Environmental Workforce and Development Job Training Program. Since 1998, more than 16,000 people nationwide have gone through the program, with 12,000 landing full-time jobs.
Earth Conservancy, working with Penn State Wilkes-Barre, plans to send 40 students though the curriculum, which includes land surveying techniques. The program begins in the fall.
“For displaced workers, especially veterans, it offers a new pathway to help secure meaningful employment,” said Michael Dziak, president and CEO of Earth Conservancy.
News Credits: https://timesleader.com/news/local/661217/earth-conservancy-lands-federal-grants-for-local-projects
