Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced $15.5 million in Brownfield Remediation Grants to communities across 35 counties, aimed at cleaning up contaminated properties for future redevelopment.
The Ohio Department of Development is distributing this funding through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, with nearly $8.4 million allocated for 22 cleanup and remediation projects and $7.1 million for 41 assessment projects. Since its launch in 2021, the program has provided nearly $800 million to support 904 projects in 87 counties.
Governor DeWine emphasized the program's impact, saying, "The Brownfield Remediation Program has been transformative in Ohio, and it has been incredible to see the difference it has made all over the state." He added, "Every dilapidated storefront or longtime neighborhood eyesore we help clean up is a new opportunity for our local partners to breathe new life into their communities." Lt. Governor Tressel noted, "By investing in a future for these sites, we’re investing in a future where any community can become Ohio’s next great success story."
The grants target industrial, commercial, and institutional brownfield sites that are abandoned or underutilized due to known or potential releases of hazardous substances or petroleum. Following remediation, these properties can be redeveloped to revitalize neighborhoods and attract new economic development. Director Mihalik said, "These projects are removing long-standing obstacles to growth, and creating opportunities for new housing, new businesses, new jobs, and better lives for our families."
Examples of new projects include the Ashtabula City Port Authority's $743,184 cleanup for a destination lodge, and the Clermont County Land Reutilization Corporation's $400,000 for a former bus garage to become public parking supporting a riverfront development. Other awards will facilitate a children’s museum in Bellefontaine and connect recreational trails in Clark County.
This round of funding was made possible with support from the Ohio General Assembly in the most recent biennium budget bill, which allocated $200 million toward the program. The Brownfield Remediation Program is part of Governor Mike DeWine's Ohio BUILDS Initiative, focusing on supporting targeted solutions that impact quality of life.