FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2026
Contact: Vincenzo Nicosia, (518) 853-8334
Montgomery County Awarded $1.5 Million EPA Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant
FONDA, NY — Montgomery County has been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead a $1.5 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant, providing a significant investment to identify, assess, and prepare underutilized properties for future redevelopment throughout Montgomery County.
The award is part of more than $14.3 million in EPA Brownfields funding awarded to communities across New York State through the EPA Brownfields Program. The program supports communities in assessing, cleaning up, and redeveloping contaminated or potentially contaminated properties, helping transform long-vacant sites into productive assets that create jobs, encourage private investment, strengthen local tax bases, and improve public health and quality of life.
Montgomery County’s grant will be used to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites, conduct 26 Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and 11 Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, develop 10 cleanup plans and five site reuse assessments, and support community engagement activities throughout the project.
Assessment activities will focus on key redevelopment areas throughout Montgomery County, including the Village of St. Johnsville, the Village of Nelliston & Fort Plain Brownfield Opportunity Area, and the City of Amsterdam’s East End Brownfield Opportunity Area.
Priority sites include:
- 3.7-acre unsecured former industrial property abandoned since the 1990s (St. Johnsville).
- 5.3-acre former carpet mill (Amsterdam).
- 2.2-acre property used for cheese production from the 1940s until it was abandoned in the 1990s (Nelliston).
“Brownfield redevelopment is one of the most effective tools we have for strengthening our communities while protecting our agricultural land and open space,” said Montgomery County Executive Pete Vroman. “This grant gives us the opportunity to identify redevelopment-ready properties, reduce uncertainty for future investment, and position these sites for productive new uses that will benefit our residents and local economy for years to come.”
The Montgomery County Business Development Center (MCBDC) will administer the grant and oversee assessment activities in coordination with local municipalities, environmental consultants, and community stakeholders.
“Environmental assessments are often one of the first and most important steps in bringing dormant properties back to life,” said Ken Rose, Director of the Montgomery County Business Development Center. “This funding allows us to remove barriers that have prevented redevelopment for decades. By completing these assessments and planning efforts, we’ll be creating a pipeline of sites that are better positioned to attract private investment, support new businesses, create jobs, and strengthen communities across Montgomery County.”
Brownfields are properties where redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. Environmental assessments help communities better understand site conditions, reduce redevelopment risk, and prepare properties for future cleanup and productive reuse. Nationwide, EPA’s Brownfields Program has leveraged billions of dollars in public and private investment while supporting the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs through redevelopment efforts.
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For more information, please contact:
Montgomery County Business Development Center
113 Park Drive
Fultonville, NY 12072
(518) 853-8334
www.montgomerycountyworks.com