ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A $425 million brownfield redevelopment project along the Lehigh River is a “shining example” of successful collaboration between federal, state and municipal partners, Michael S. Regan said Tuesday.
- EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan visited Allentown Tuesday to highlight the agency's $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants program
- The Waterfront, formerly Lehigh Structural Steel Co., was designated as a brownfield due to metal contamination
- The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is getting $1 million to develop two climate action plans
“Through the climate pollution reduction grants program, we will advance greenhouse gas reduction projects and communities just like this all across the country,” said Regan, EPA administrator. “By working with states and localities to invest in America's clean energy future, we have a real opportunity to make meaningful progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating good paying jobs and protecting our planet for generations to come.”
Regan, along with a handful of Lehigh Valley leaders, gathered at The Waterfront to highlight the Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants program. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, Pennsylvania has received $3 million, with $1 million already earmarked for the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
“Our region has embraced initiatives that result in a higher quality of life for all and we understand that environmental justice is vital,” Allentown Mayor Matthew Tuerk said. “ … The Environmental Protection Agency's presence here today underscores our shared commitment to addressing issues like this. Together, we’ll forge partnerships and explore innovative solutions to tackle those environmental challenges.
"We're eager to learn from your expertise, as we have over the years, and look forward to doing so in the future, share our best practices and strengthen our city and our region's resilience."Allentown Mayor Matthew Tuerk
“We're eager to learn from your expertise, as we have over the years, and look forward to doing so in the future, share our best practices and strengthen our city and our region's resilience. So let's engage in meaningful dialogue and collaboration to create a greener, healthier, safer, cleaner and more prosperous Allentown,” Tuerk said.
The Waterfront, just south of the Tilghman Street Bridge on the Lehigh River, will include a 26-acre mixed-use campus with office buildings and residences, as well as a restaurant and retail district.
The area was formerly Lehigh Structural Steel Co., which closed in the late-1980s. It was designated as a brownfield — an area with the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant — by the federal Environmental Protection Agency due to several types of metals found in the soil.
It’s part of the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, created in 2012 to encourage development and revitalization in Center City and along the river. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2015.
During an April meeting of the LVPC’s Environment Committee, Bradley said the $1 million infusion would fund the creation of two separate climate action plans over the next four years.
A Priority Climate Action Plan, due in March 2024, will focus on industrial decarbonization. A Comprehensive Climate Action Plan must be developed within two years of receipt of the funding.
The Valley is already feeling the effects of climate change. In the past month, residents have been choked by Canadian wildfire smoke, leading the nation with the worst air quality in the country, and a drought was declared after repeated dry conditions. A majority of the region’s major cities have climate action plans in place to mitigate impacts.
U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, said the Valley is “a hotbed of innovation and cutting-edge technology,” but growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of residential health.
“One of the greatest strengths we have here in this community is the strong partnerships that we have between municipal, state, federal government entities, alongside our private sector, private industry, unions, our higher education system — which has phenomenal community colleges,” Wild said. “They all come together around projects like this, and those are the kinds of partnerships that we have to have to address climate change in thoughtful, effective ways.”
