The state of Tennessee is putting dollars into dirt, specifically into the revitalization of less than pristine properties. In a recent move, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) handed over a $20,000 grant to Dickson County. This cash is poised to breathe new life into so-called "brownfield" locations—those spots that have seen better days, typically avoided because of suspected pollution.
According to the state's announcement, the grant is part of a larger statewide strategy to clean up and to subsequently cash in on these underused lands. Dickson County, not wanting to miss out, plans to quickly start working in conjunction with the Greater Nashville Regional Council to scope out and prioritize sites that are ripe for this type of redevelopment.
The money comes courtesy of the Rural Brownfield Redevelopment Investment Act, a piece of legislation that's as much about saving the environment as it is about stimulating the economy. It's an act that gives local governments and development organizations the necessary tools to survey, scrub up, and repurpose properties that have been left in the lurch, long neglected due to concerns about contaminants.
With 35 other brownfield redevelopment grants announced across Tennessee back in July, according to the same TDEC release, it looks like Dickson County is in good company as it joins the statewide push to give these distressed properties a much-needed facelift.
