WYOMING COUNTY/EPA awards $500,000 to Wyoming County Business Center to assist with mitigation of the former Emkay Dairy Processing facility in Arcade

Press release

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is awarding $254.5 million in Brownfields Grants to 265 communities, including 12 grants totaling $10.5 million across New York State. These grants include a Brownfield Cleanup grant of $500,000 awarded to WCBC North, LLC managed by the Wyoming County Business Center, for the site of the former Emkay Dairy Processing plant in Arcade, NY.

“The brownfields program is a powerful tool that helps overburdened communities in New York address local inequities by providing a means to revitalize properties and promote environmental health, economic growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and BIL gives the program a huge shot in the arm – with a historic $1.5 billion dollars that will be leveraged to make a real and lasting on-the-ground difference for communities across the country.”

“On behalf of the community, I am very grateful the WCBC North, LLC, has been awarded an EPA Brownfield Cleanup grant of $500,000 to assist with the mitigation of the former Emkay dairy processing facility in the Village of Arcade,” said James Pierce, Manager of the WCBC North, LLC. “This abandoned and contaminated property has been a public health hazard for over 20 years, and the grant funding is a critical first-step in cleaning up and developing a clear path for future site development.”

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and other uses. For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields