Mineral County gets EPA grant

RENO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday awarded a $400,000 grant to Mineral County to assess pollution from historic mining and railroad operations in the area.

The EPA is providing the money to the county's Parks and Recreation Commission under the federal agency's Brownfields program, which targets sites where expansion, redevelopment or reuse might have been complicated by the presence of hazardous substances or contaminants.

Mineral County was home to early gold and silver mines and still has deteriorating commercial railroad stock that could be a source of residual contamination from past operations, the EPA said.

The grant will create an inventory of sites contaminated by hazardous substances and petroleum, prioritize sites, conduct environmental site assessments and support community outreach activities.