PERRY, Ga. — The City of Perry is getting an EPA Brownfield Grant to remove soil from a contaminated site.
The grant is part of the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant program. There was $4 million that was given between Perry, Atlanta, Savannah, and Adrian, Georgia.
The cleanup is happening where an old dry cleaning facility once was. There was also a Stanley Furniture store in the same area. Assistant City Manager Robert Smith said workers used to dump the contaminated PCE fluid out the side of the building. He says a test well was placed to see what soil was contaminated and they will see how to best clean it up.
Once the city gets the money from the EPA, they will get to work on the area.
"We contract with an engineer, and that engineer will work with contractors to come in and do the physical work," Smith said.
Smith says the soil is not contaminating nearby businesses because it is in one central area. Engineers and contractors will know what to do next.
"We're actually going to come in and excavate 1,500 cubic yards of soil, the contaminated soil, take it to an approved landfill, and then fill it back in with clean soil," Smith said.
So what is next for the space once it is decontaminated?
"Ultimately, we hope to transition this whole area into a nice, welcoming gateway into downtown Perry. We also hope to provide some sort of amenity for children and families, perhaps an interactive art installation or something like that," Smith said.
Smith expects the cleanup to begin once approval for the money happens and expects the cleanup to take six to eight months.