SALISBURY — Salisbury is among 11 communities in North Carolina and 144 communities in the U.S. to receive grants from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields fund.

The grants “will provide communities with funding to assess, clean up and redevelop underutilized properties while protecting public health and the environment,” according to a news release.

A total of 221 grants were awarded by the EPA that amounted to $54.3 million.

“EPA’s Brownfields program expands the ability of communities to recycle vacant and abandoned properties for new, productive reuses, using existing infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “These grants leverage other public and private investments and improve local economies through property cleanup and redevelopment.”

Salisbury will receive $300,000, with $200,000 going toward projects involving hazardous substances and $100,000 going toward projects involving petroleum.

The objectives include conducting environmental site assessments, developing cleanup plans and community outreach.

The assessments will focus on the area around Main Street, starting at Thomas Street and ending at 17th Street.

“The N.C. Brownfields Program is focused on helping rural communities as much as possible, and we have seen that these EPA Brownfields grants are an ideal economic development tool for them,” said Brownfields program manager Bruce Nicholson of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Waste Management. “We are excited to see that eight of the 11 grantees are in this rural sector. These grant funds will truly help transform the awardees’ visions into the brick, mortar and jobs that will mean so much to these communities in need.”

According to the news release, a study analyzing 48 Brownfield sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup.

Other North Carolina communities chosen for Brownfield funding included Robbins, Siler City, Washington and Lenoir.

Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.