Springfield, Missouri is being recognized for effectively cleaning and redeveloping previously polluted land through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) brownfields program.
The city has received $7 million in grants and assistance from the EPA over a 17 year period. That has gone to influence developments that are now worth more than 20 times that initial investment.
“Seven million in seed (money) has helped $460 million in projects grow,” says Chris Whitley, spokesman for EPA Region 7.
“This is by no means the end of it. It’s just a good point to pause and look back and see what an incredible record the city of Springfield has complied by turning brownfields green again,” Whitley says.