Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens announced that the ADEQ's awarding a $50,000 Brownfields grant to the City of Surprise in Maricopa County to perform an environmental site assessment of an abandoned farm maintenance yard that the city now owns.
The site, located at 11401 N. 136th Ave. in Surprise, will be examined to determine whether it has been contaminated by previous farming activities & storage of machinery. The environmental assessment also will assist the City in identifying & ensuring that contaminants of concern like lead & diesel fuel are not in the groundwater recharge area. The ADEQ Brownfields Program will serve as project manager on behalf of the city.
"This is an important first step toward putting this property into productive use for the benefit of the community," Director Owens said."After the assessment has been completed, the city will then be able to move forward in developing this much needed recharge area to help ensure an adequate future supply of stored potable water for its citizens."
A brownfield is an abandoned or under-used property with an active redevelopment potential that suffers from known or perceived environmental contamination.