The EPA announced today that it will allocate $600,000 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to the city of Aiken for environmental remediation projects.

Areas of concern in Aiken include the Warrenville Mill Site and the former Avondale Mills in Graniteville, the site of a 2005 train accident which released a toxic cloud of chlorine gas, killing 9 people and leading to the loss of over 1,700 jobs. (click here for EPA news release)

On many occasions in the past, funding for environmental projects, especially remediation, has been subject to numerous political pressures. The drafters of the ARRA legislation attempted to build in procedures which will provide transparency and allow diligent environmental watchdogs (such as those we have in S.C.) to monitor projects like this one in Aiken. Hopefully this will provide efficient and effective use of the funds.