DOLA Receives EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant for Fort Lyon

DENVER – Tuesday, May 24, 2016  – The Department of Local Affairs today announced the award of $206,400 from the EPA for two Brownfields Cleanup grant projects to address asbestos contamination in several currently underutilized and unoccupied buildings at the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community in Bent County CO.  Once completed, the DOLA program will be able to increase the amount of available transitional housing for homeless Coloradans, and have space for additional educational programs.

“This is one of our most important programs and these funds will help us improve the campus to increase capacity” said DOLA executive director Irv Halter. “Fort Lyon provides services for our most vulnerable population; the additional space will provide needed room to expand.”

The properties remediation work will be overseen by Bent County, who manages Fort Lyon’s facility operations for DOLA. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is the program manager.

“Fort Lyon is a part of our community and we are pleased to be able to enhance the facility for future use” said Bent County Commissioner Bill Long.

The EPA announced awards for 10 entities from Region 8 who will receive over $3.3 million to assess, cleanup and redevelop contaminated properties. These new grants will help western communities address brownfield properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment.

For more information about the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community, visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/fort-lyon.