From Mayor Bill Finch:
City Receives EPA Approval to Use Federal Funding to Assist with Remediation of Seaview Plaza Development
Mayor Bill Finch announced today that the Seaview Plaza Development project has received a boost thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of $350,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for the environmental remediation of the project site. These funds will assist in conducting environmental remediation activities at the Bridgeport Regional Maritime Complex, located at 837 Seaview Avenue.
“During the last four years, I have been enormously grateful for EPA’s brownfield remediation funding. During my time as Mayor, Bridgeport has competed for and won well over $2 million in EPA brownfield funding–the most of any municipality in New England during that period,” said Mayor Finch. “The approval brings the Seaview Avenue Development project, with its potential for new retail services, a grocery store, and hundreds of jobs for the East End and East Side neighborhoods, closer to reality.”
The City received the grant, which is specifically limited to remediation activities involving petroleum contamination, in late 2009. The grant was not tied to a specific site at the time of award to the City, and a subsequent approval of a site was required from EPA. The City has received EPA’s approval to subgrant as much as $350,000 to the Bridgeport Port Authority to conduct environmental remediation activities at the Bridgeport Regional Maritime Complex.
The remediation will be conducted following applicable Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection voluntary remediation procedures and remediation standard regulations.
Transparent.
Birdman needs the funds to put into the general fund (an illegality) to prop up his bankrupt city.
Finch will probably say “Better late than never!” if asked why he’s getting this money now.
Actually TBK, to clarify … this was money they already received in 2009. The City just finalized the paperwork to ensure it would be targeted towards this project. My guess is it’s Revolving Loan Fund money they got via the Recovery Act (note: that grant was practically a given. It was only available to existing RLFs. There really wasn’t a “competition” for these funds … they just kind of backed into an application).
Which leads me to my next peeve about Finch being all “LOOK AT ALL THE BROWNFIELDS MONEY I GOT YA!!!” Bridgeport will ALWAYS get this money, no matter who sits in the Mayor’s Office. The EPA, as much as they don’t like City Hall as a grantee and cooperative agreement partner, knows the city itself has more need for this funding than any other city in EPA Region 1. To not give $ to Bridgeport would put a whole lot of egg on their face.
But make no mistake about it … Bridgeport is getting this funding DESPITE Finch.
I’ve been waiting for over a year the LDA on this Simon Konover-Taint George Project. Comment from the Port Authority would be welcomed.