Shapiro Administration Provides Funding for Environmental Assessment of Former Front Street Motors, Paving the Way for New Business and Job Creation in Columbia County

The Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund will use the $175,000 grant to assess soil contamination and install groundwater monitoring wells at the site — formerly the location of a Hess gas station in Berwick.

This property will be developed into a commercial business that will create jobs in Northeast PA.

Projects like this one reinforce the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to creating healthier communities for Pennsylvanians while also investing in the Commonwealth’s economic future.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced the approval of $175,000 through the Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) to the Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund to conduct an environmental assessment at the former Front Street Motors at 1338 West Front Street in Berwick. The planned development for this property will be a small commercial business, which will create five jobs in Columbia County.

The property consists of a single 0.33-acre parcel that has an existing vehicle repair center with an associated parking lot. The facility has five, 8,000-gallon steel underground tanks that were installed in 1969 to store gasoline and kerosene at the former Hess Gas Station that operated at the property until the 1990s.

The assessment will include additional soil sampling to establish the extent of any soil contamination. Groundwater monitoring wells will also be installed to determine the extent of potential groundwater contamination.

“Since day one, the Shapiro Administration has focused on creating healthy and safe communities across Pennsylvania to benefit workers, businesses, and residents,” said Secretary Siger. “By addressing the environmental barriers to redevelopment, the ISRP plays a crucial role in attracting new investment, supporting job creation, and ensuring former industrial sites can once again contribute to our economy.”

“While private investment forms the backbone of voluntary brownfield redevelopment in Pennsylvania, access to public funding often provides the critical spark needed to initiate these projects,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley.  “Supported by an annual $3 million transfer from the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund, the Land Recycling Program collaborates with DCED to provide grants and loans that help finance environmental assessments and site cleanups throughout Pennsylvania.”

The ISRP provides loans and grants for environmental assessments and remediation carried out by eligible applicants who did not cause or contribute to the contamination. The program is designed to foster the cleanup of environmental contamination at industrial sites, thereby bringing blighted land into productive reuse.

For more information about the Industrial Sites Reuse Program or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

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