The EPA, along with the mayor of Waterbury and other elected officials came together Monday to talk more about how millions of dollars of grant moment for the state will go toward remodeling unused and potentially polluted plots of land across the state.
The goal is to take unused fields and old mills make them into an economic engine for the community.
About $2 million will be going toward the Waterbury community in particular to deal with two sites in the Mad River Redevelopment Corridor.
Remediation will help expand the existing food hub and include construction of approximately 50 raised community garden beds, an outdoor kitchen, a beekeeping area, native plant landscaping, and a market and retail café.
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"It’s going to create jobs, it’s going to create new commercial opportunities, going to make places safe, going to take pollution out of the air, out of the soil, out of the rivers. It’s a win-win situation," David Cash, regional administrator for EPA Region 1, said.
Toward the end of the ceremony representatives from numerous areas received checks to take back to their communities.
Some of those areas included Killingly, Bridgeport and New Haven, just to name a few. All will go to take these unused areas to make them environmentally friendly and economic engines for the community,