County pursues $4 million EPA brownfields grant to clean up Harris Street Prison site

Montgomery County commissioners on Jan. 22 authorized staff to submit an application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a $4,000,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to address contamination at the Harris Street Prison property.

County redevelopment staff said the site requires cleanup for asbestos, lead-based paint and other typical brownfield contaminants. Patty Guttenplan, who is leading the project, told commissioners the county has completed a Phase I environmental assessment and is conducting Phase II testing with consultant Montrose Environmental. She said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has supplied a support letter for the application.

Guttenplan said the grant requires a public hearing on cleanup options; staff had advertised that hearing for the evening of Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. in Montgomery Plaza. She explained that the grant is competitive but can cover remediation, additional studies, grant management costs and certain equipment or security needs during cleanup. The county owns the property and would retain ownership through the cleanup process.

Commissioners voted to authorize submission of the grant application during the meeting. Staff said the application deadline was imminent and that the county intended to file prior to the deadline.

Next steps include completing Phase II environmental work, holding the public hearing on cleanup options, submitting the EPA application and continuing the RFEI (request for expressions of interest) process to evaluate potential future uses for the site once remediation is complete.