At KEDC our mission is to increase the City of Kilgore tax base and provide jobs for Kilgore citizens. The state of the regional economy is an important component in our ability to accomplish that mission. The regional economy is important to Kilgore and its citizens.
With that in mind, I will be speaking to participants in a regional workshop describing federal and state resources available for the development of brownfields. The workshop features speakers from the Environmental Protection Agency on brownfield definitions and citing brownfields for development as well as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Railroad Commission of Texas on voluntary cleanup of brownfields. The East Texas Economic Development District is sponsoring the workshop entitled, “Tools for Redevelopment and Revitalization – Grant Funding Opportunities of the EPA Brownfields Program.”
KEDC has used some of these resources to develop land for one of our employers, Closure Systems Int’l., when that land had brownfield issues. CSI was able to expand, creating an increased tax base for the city and more jobs for Kilgore’s citizens. This workshop is part of an on-going effort of the ETEDD to enable communities to open more land for development. When that happens, the region has more tools for success. And when the region succeeds, we all win.
