Officials say there are some 2,800 vacant, under-utilized and contaminated brownfield sites in Mid-Michigan. Some are the legacy of a wave of automotive plant and parts supplier closures spanning three decades. Others are former gas stations, garages and dry cleaning shops that contain an array of environmental pollutants. These idle sites are a threat to public health and a barrier to economic development. Now, a new federal grant will be put towards remediation.The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $500,000 to the Lansing Regional Brownfields Coalition to clean up more than a dozen sites.
Current State talks about the project with one of two project managers for this grant, Keith Lambert of LEAP, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, and Karl Dorshimer, the director of business development with LEAP.