Girard awarded $500K in EPA funding to clean up former Ohio Leatherworks site

GIRARD — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that the city of Girard will receive $500,000 in Brownfields Program funding to clean up the former Ohio Leatherworks site.

"This is an honor to the citizens who labored at the Ohio Leatherworks from 1900 to 1970," Girard Mayor James Melfi said in a news release. "These citizens supported their families and our nation through two world wars. And now, a half-century later, a rebirth."

Girard will use the funds to remediate contamination at the former Ohio Leatherworks site, 1052 North State St. The 11.8-acre cleanup site was formerly a leather processing operation where animal hides were tanned, dyed and tempered with chemicals to make them softer and more pliable. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities.

"It's encouraging to see this cleanup put into motion with federal investment to assist the hard work from the local community," U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said. "The removal of contaminants is a critical step to bringing new business to Girard, and I applaud the work being done in the community to make that a reality."

Nationally, $65.5 million will be awarded to 151 grantees to support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities across the country to assess and clean up contaminated and abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Approximately 50 percent of selected recipients are receiving EPA Brownfields grant funding for the first time, and more than 85 percent are located in or serving small communities, the release states.

"There are hundreds of thousands of contaminated commercial and industrial sites in the U.S., especially in Midwest communities like ours in Ohio," U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, said. "Reclaiming these brownfields can create a number of local environmental, economic and social benefits for a community."

This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 4:45 AM with the headline "Girard awarded $500K in EPA funding to clean up former Ohio Leatherworks site."