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Galveston council approves EPA Brownfields grant application for Shield Park
Summary
The City Council unanimously approved submitting an EPA Brownfields cleanup grant application to support remediation at Shield Park and to enroll the site in TCEQ’s voluntary cleanup program after presentations by Vision Galveston and staff.
The Galveston City Council voted unanimously Jan. 22 to authorize the city manager to submit an Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields cleanup grant application for Shield Park and to pursue enrollment in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality voluntary cleanup program.
Vision Galveston CEO Christine Bryant and partners told the council the Shield Park site sits in Census Tract 7240, a tract the presenters described as having concentrated economic hardship. Bryant said Vision Galveston contracted a long‑standing brownfields consultant, paid that consulting cost, and partnered with local, regional and federal agencies — including TCEQ and EPA Region 6 — to prepare the application and an analysis of cleanup alternatives.
"Green space promotes health," Bryant said, describing the project as part of an effort to create connected, activated and equitable parks. City staff opened the public hearing to document the application for grant purposes. After brief council remarks commending interagency teamwork, Councilmember Lewis moved approval and Councilmember Brown seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: Shield Park’s cleanup, if funded, would target environmental hazards on a site located in a higher‑poverty tract and could clear barriers to future park renovation and neighborhood access. The city’s action only authorizes the application; any grant award, cleanup plan and timeline would require subsequent approvals and agreements.
Next steps: The city manager was authorized to execute the necessary application documents; staff and Vision Galveston will continue grant coordination with EPA and TCEQ.
