Elizabethton Receives $20,000 Check for Brownfield Redevelopment

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) presented a check Dec. 6 for $20,000 to officials of Elizabethton from the Brownfield Redevelopment Area Grants (BRAG) program.

Elizabethton will use the funds to identify priority sites for redevelopment. The grant is one of 36 brownfield redevelopment grants across the state announced in July.

BRAG grants are derived from the Rural Brownfield Redevelopment Investment Act, which protects the environment and creates economic opportunities, especially in rural settings. The legislation empowers local governments and development boards with resources needed for investigation, cleanup, and redevelopment of blighted properties.

A brownfield is a property vacant or underutilized due to potential contamination. Remediation minimizes threats to public health and the environment while incentivizing economic investment.