KEOKUK app The U.S Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 announced on Friday that the City of Keokuk would be receiving almost $2 million more for its ongoing cleanup efforts of the former Elkem- Carbide site on Carbide Lane.
According to a press release from the EPA, appThe City of Keokuk has been selected to receive $1,996,900. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Southern Parcel, located at 365 Carbide Lane. The 16.37-acre cleanup site was developed in 1915 for smelting and refining zinc and lead. Other products produced at the site included electrode paste, tin cans, casting metals, bearings, and various carbide products. The site is contaminated with coal tar and zinc smelting by-products; coal and petroleum coke stockpiles containing high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); and heavy metals. Grant funds also will be used to conduct two public meetings and support community engagement activities.app
The grant is part of the Brownfields program that will be sending $267 million across the country for this round of grants. The grants help clean up areas such as the old Carbide factory to make the properties useful-again.
The press release goes on to say that the grants put the agencyapp commitment to protect human health and the environment into action, while remaining good stewards of tax dollars and advancing policies to energize the economy.
appThe $267 million in Brownfield Grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families,app said EPA Administrator Zeldin. appEPAapp Brownfields program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity complement each other. Under President Trumpapp leadership, EPA is Powering the Great American Comeback, ensuring our nation has the cleanest air, land, and water while supporting sustainable growth and fiscal responsibility.app
EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy continued by saying they are proud to work with partners across the state of Iowa on these grants that help local and state partners take the lead in revitalizing their communities.
appThis collaborative approach ensures fiscal responsibility, promotes economic development, and transforms potentially contaminated properties into clean, usable land that supports long-term growth and sustainability,app he said.
Other grants for Iowa include about $1.09 million to the city of Clinton, $15 million to the East Central Intergovernmental Association, $400,000 to the city of LeMars and $500,000 to the city of Red Oak.
This is the third and could be final Brownfields grant the city will be receiving for the property cleanup.
In the summer of 2023, the city received the first Brownfields grant for the property for about $2 million. Then about a year ago, it was announced the city would be receiving a second grant for about $4.485 million as part of the program.
The Elkem facility was initially planned without municipal oversight and was developed prior to being annexed by the city in the 1950s. The site once enjoyed manufacturing prominence, robust community development, and significant earnings among workers, until operations ceased, and the site was vacated in 2007.
The city came into possession of the property several years ago and since then has been working on cleanup plans and getting portions of the property into hands of developers.
The grants are specific for this cleanup effort and cannot be used for street repair.