EPA grants Pueblo $1 million for cleanup projects

(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Monday, May 20 that the City of Pueblo will receive a $1 million grant.

The large quantity was awarded by the agency’s Brownfield Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) programs to support the environmental assessments, cleanup, and redevelopment of properties in Pueblo.

“EPA’s Brownfields grants are supporting critical cleanup and redevelopment projects in communities across Colorado,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to seeing these funds transform blighted sites in Pueblo’s Eastside, Bessemer, and Downtown neighborhoods into new assets.”

The grant will focus on the geographical area of Pueblo called the Y-Zone, which includes revitalization projects in the Eastside, Bessemer, and Downtown neighborhoods. Funding will be used to conduct asbestos cleanup at the sole community center in the Eastside, El Centro del Quinto Sol Community Center. The center takes first priority, the grant will fund the cleanup and upgrade services at the center.

“The City of Pueblo is excited to receive this EPA Multipurpose grant which will help our city restore a community center, restore underutilized significant historic spaces, and assist the private sector in redeveloping numerous vacant places,” said Mayor Heather Graham. “This multi-year investment in Pueblo will help us clean up buildings and reinvest in our historic Bessemer, Eastside, and West Side neighborhoods and turn vacancy into vibrancy.”

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