(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — If you live in Cook County and know of a property that needs to be cleaned up and made better for the environment, someone wants to give you a loan.
Deb Kutska, with the County's Department of Environment and Sustainability, says the county has received $950,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency.
“So I think people come to this program in a lot of different ways. A lot of times it's folks who are driving past the same space, you know, an abandoned lot, a site that used to be a gas station that's no longer operational anymore, and it's kind of a concern for them and their community,” Kutska said.
“Wanting to get rid of it and make it a more beneficial spot, whether that be green space or a residential space, a new economic development opportunity. And so a lot of times it is just, ‘hey, this is gonna be helpful to my community and I'd like to make a difference.’”
The funding supplements the county’s existing Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund.
“I think there are a lot of people who are recognizing the need for us to make those improvements in their communities and their backyards so that it's a more livable and healthy space for all of us.”
The fund provides low-interest loans to transform polluted, abandoned or underused industrial and commercial properties into green spaces and community assets.
Cook County was one of 31 high-performing Brownfield RLF Grant Programs selected by the EPA for the supplemental funding.
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