The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded two Brownfields Clean-up grants to revitalize former industrial and agribusiness sites in northern West Virginia.

With the help of the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center (NBAC) at West Virginia University, Monongalia and Jefferson counties will receive $200,000 each to clean up contaminated property for reuse.

The two project sites are the former Quality Glass Plant site in Monongalia County in which hazardous substance grant funds will be used to clean up heavy metals and other contaminants on the 3.1 acre site which was used for glass manufacturing from the 1920s to the 1980s.

The clean up of the 43 acre Sandy Ridge Orchard site in Jefferson County will involve the remediation of arsenic and pesticides associated with the former apple orchard.Grant funds will also be used to implement engineering and institutional controls and support community outreach activities.

The Quality Glass clean-up is a result of collaboration between the Monongalia County Commission, the landowners, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and NBAC .

The Sandy Ridge Orchard clean-up is a result of the cooperation of the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Commission, the landowner, WVDEP , NBAC and local recreational groups.

The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center at WVU will continue to work with the counties to assist in the implementation of the grants and the revitalization of the sites,said Patrick Kirby, manager of NBAC .

Four grants in total were awarded to West Virginia. The City of Nitro also was awarded hazardous material and petroleum community-wide assessment grants.West Virginia received over 25% of the EPA Brownfields grant funding awarded to the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center is a program of the West Virginia Water Research Institute, a division of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy at WVU . For more information on these projects and the services provided by the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, contact Patrick Kirby, 304-293-2867, ext. 5459.