Orange County IDA Secures $500K EPA Grant to Clean Up Brownfield Sites

The Orange County Industrial Development Agency secured a $500,000 federal grant to begin identifying and assessing contaminated brownfield sites scattered across the county, with the goal of converting long-idle industrial land into shovel-ready development parcels.

The agency won the Brownfield Assessment Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to "characterize, assess, and conduct cleanup planning and community involvement-related activities for brownfield sites in Orange County." The money covers research and planning only, but agency officials describe it as a critical first step toward unlocking additional federal cleanup dollars down the road.

OCIDA has already identified multiple sites in Port Jervis, as well as the former Nepera Chemical Company plant site in the greater Woodbury area, as having "high potential for cleanup and redevelopment." Port Jervis, a city that has often been overlooked, recently gained momentum with a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from New York State.

IDA Executive Director Bill Fioravanti outlined the industries the agency hopes to attract once sites are cleaned up and made available. "Our goal on sectors food and beverage, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, tourism destinations; we want to continue to have a diverse economy here in Orange County, and we are trying to prepare future sites to continue to bolster that," he said.

"This grant is a continuation of our initiative to identify properties that we can develop to bring the best possible projects and jobs here," Fioravanti said. "We're leaving no stone unturned, including these brownfields that have great promise if they are remediated properly. This grant is the first step in this process."

To execute the brownfield assessment project, the IDA will enlist the expertise of a specialized consultant. Over the next two years, the agency will work to catalog and prioritize brownfield sites, conduct environmental assessments, and devise cleanup strategies. OCIDA plans to seek out qualified environmental professionals to provide environmental and engineering consulting services for the initiative, with a goal of applying for additional grant funding for cleanup and redevelopment.

The initiative is being coordinated with the Orange County Partnership and the county Economic Development Department, and the agency is seeking input from elected officials and residents to help determine which properties to prioritize. The economic stakes are tangible: successfully remediated sites would expand the county's tax base, with the added revenue directed toward schools, roads, first responders and other infrastructure.

EPA Regional Administrator and former New York State Senator Mike Martucci emphasized the broader community impact of the effort. "When we invest in cleaning up and reusing former industrial properties, local families gain healthier, safer neighborhoods and entrepreneurs gain new sites to open businesses and create jobs," Martucci said.

Orange County's grant is part of a nationwide federal push. The EPA's brownfield grant program distributed $233 million in funding to 180 communities across the United States this year, with 13 recipients from New York State, including the Orange County IDA.

The grant's release was briefly in doubt. President Donald Trump attempted to freeze all federal grants and loans by way of executive order, including those that had been awarded but not yet reimbursed. Fioravanti said he had talked with the EPA after the freeze order was issued and still expects the grant funds to be released. The executive order, which New York State Attorney General Letitia James called an illegal act, was blocked on Feb. 3 after James and other state attorneys general brought the case to a federal judge, who issued a temporary restraining order against the move.

Fioravanti framed the $500,000 as a foundation rather than a finish line. "This grant is just the beginning," he said. "With a clear plan and strong community partnerships, we can turn these hidden liabilities into thriving assets for Orange County."

The Orange County IDA is located at 4 Crotty Lane, Suite 100, in New Windsor and can be reached at (845) 234-4192.