Rome, Ga. — U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff today announced new resources through the bipartisan infrastructure law to protect Floyd County families from hazardous materials.
Today, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock announced they are delivering $2 million through the bipartisan infrastructure law to help expedite the cleanup of hazardous materials at the former Battey State Hospital in Rome.
The cleanup site was part of a 132.5-acre former hospital campus that has been in decline for several decades and vacant since 2011. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the campus includes 57 vacant structures in various stages of deterioration, and several buildings have been contaminated with metals and contaminants.
“Above all this is about our communities’ health. No family in Rome and Floyd County should live in fear of contaminants in their communities,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why Senator Warnock and I are delivering these historic public health and environmental cleanup efforts through the bipartisan infrastructure law.”
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Senator Ossoff and I championed, we are announcing historic investments that will clean up former industrial sites dealing with environmental contamination,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “As a voice for Georgia in the Senate I’m committed to environmental justice, and I’m so proud to see these funds flow to critical projects in our state that are going to promote better health, a cleaner environment, and better outcomes for hardworking Georgians.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people living near “brownfield” sites may be exposed to hazardous substances by drinking groundwater impacted by the site, through exposure to contaminants in the air, or by walking on the site itself — leading to long-term environmental and public health risks.
# # #
