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BURGETTSTOWN, January 13, 2006 - A new Brownfield Action Team
(BAT) designation for Starpointe Business Park will cut red tape and
speed development at the Hanover Township site, according to state
Sen. J. Barry Stout and Rep. Victor J. Lescovitz.
“The BAT label means that Starpointe is a high-priority project for
the state,” said Stout (D-Washington/Greene). “State officials will
work closely with local officials to make sure Starpointe’s
development proceeds smoothly.”
"I worked on the original brownfield legislation and am glad to see
my area taking advantage of the benefits," Lescovitz said.
On Wednesday, Gov. Ed Rendell and Environmental Protection Secretary
Kathleen McGinty announced that three brownfields, including
Starpointe, had been accepted into the Brownfield Action Team
program.
Since its launch in 2004, the BAT has worked to enhance interaction
between the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and local
communities by creating a single point of contact within DEP for
priority brownfield redevelopment projects.
The BAT designation will help expedite Starpointe’s expansion on to
an adjacent 1,000-acre former strip mine.
“Pennsylvania has over 100,000 acres of old industrial sites that
are unused because of pollution concerns,” said Stout. “This program
will ensure these sites are redeveloped as quickly as possible.”
Starpointe’s owner, the Washington County Council on Economic
Development, broke ground on the first 148 acres in fall 2004 and
has secured commitments from several companies to locate at the
site. In July 2005, contractors began construction of an interchange
for Routes 18 and 22 to provide easy transportation to and from
Starpointe.
In 1991, Stout and Lescovitz secured $500,000 in funds to begin
acquiring property for the business park. Since that time,
Starpointe has received nearly $11 million in public and private
investments.
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