Adrian, Ga. — U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff delivered new resources to protect families from hazardous contaminants and substances in downtown Adrian.
Today, Sens. Ossoff and Warnock delivered new resources through the bipartisan infrastructure law to help expedite the cleanup of hazardous materials found in sites across Downtown Adrian, including an abandoned grocery store and a former sawmill containing deserted fuel storage sites.
The new resources will be used to assess and take inventory of contaminated sites across the area, develop new cleanup plans to remove the pollutants, and revitalize existing infrastructure to boost job growth in the community.
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, by wind carrying contamination off the site, or by walking on the site itself — leading to long-term environmental and public health risks.
“Above all this is about our communities’ health. No family in Adrian 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 across Georgia. I thank President Biden, Administrator Regan, and Southeast Regional Administrator Blackman for their support.”
“As a preacher, I believe we are all called to be good stewards of our planet and its resources, so as a public servant, I was proud to champion the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its critical investments in cleaning up communities in Johnson County and across Georgia that have been impacted by industrial waste,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “We know that historically disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of the public health and economic downfalls posed by contaminant exposure; this robust grant is an important next step in alleviating these risks and creating a safer, healthier Georgia for all.”
The bipartisan infrastructure law included increased assistance for designated brownfields communities across the U.S. — areas the EPA has identified to contain contaminated properties.
The city of Adrian will receive $500,000 through the bipartisan infrastructure law’s EPA brownfields grant program to begin these assessments and studies.
Adrian is one of four communities across Georgia to receive this important grant. According to the EPA, there are currently more than 450,000 brownfields across the nation, and these areas commonly experience declining property values, reduced social services, and other risks to residents’ quality of life.
