Church gets EPA grant to clean up asbestos

Section: Religion

Kat Stelly

Progressive Church has been awarded a $200,000 grant by the Environmental Protection Agency to help safely clean up asbestos contamination at a 20-acre site across from the church in Marrero. The grant is through the EPA's Brownsfield Program, which is designed to promote the cleanup and revitalization of former industrial sites.

The church bought the land in three phases from 1996 to 2003, with plans to transform what used to be empty lots and an auto salvage yard into a community center. At the time of purchase, they had clearances stating that the land did not have any known hazards, but asbestos contamination was discovered when clearing of the site began.

Sterling Mealancon, pastor of Progressive Church, was stunned to discover that it would cost $600,000 to remove the asbestos and contaminated soil, but he was determined to continue with his plans. It would cost less to simply cap the asbestos and then pave over it, but he decided that wasn't an acceptable option.
"We are thinking long-term, not just for today," he said. "Future generations should not have to deal with it."

Renee Washington, protocol minister at Progressive Church, is working closely with Mealancon on the project. She has no doubt that his plans will become reality.

"This is the first grant of any kind that we have received," she said, noting that the purchase of the land had been accomplished strictly through gifts from the congregation. Washington said the congregation has grown in leaps and bounds over the past five years, going from about 300 members to more than 1,000.

The architect working on the plans for the community center heard about the Brownsfield Program when he attended a meeting of the Regional Planning Commission, and he let Mealancon know about it. Mealancon said that the grant will cover just part of the cost of cleaning up the site. "Anyone who has the other $400,000 available can certainly give me a call," he said with a smile.

At this point, the church is waiting for the state to approve the submitted plans for cleaning up the site. That will probably take about a month, and the cleanup could take anywhere from 60 to 90 days.

"The weather is a vital part of the process," Washington said. Clear skies will mean quicker progress, and excessive rain will slow things down.

Washington said that both the grant and cleanup procedures are "lengthy and complicated" but help is provided. Environmental consultants from the Regional Planning Commission will work with the church throughout the cleanup, and the EPA sponsors a two-day seminar to help participants understand the process of using the grant.

Mealancon hopes to break ground on the community center, to be called the Progressive Family Life Center, in the fall, and open it eight to 12 months after that. He said that he wants the center to be a community hub for information and services, with an emphasis on job training and education. He said the 55,000-square-foot facility will be open to projects and partnerships that bring "wellness and wholeness" to the community.

"We help people progress spiritually, physically and emotionally," he said. "We want as many partners in that as possible."

Mealancon said future plans include a day care center, senior housing, a new sanctuary for the church, and an elementary school. When all phases of the project are complete, as many as 150 new jobs will be created, he said.

Kat Stelly is a Marrero resident who writes about people and events of community interest. You can reach her by e-mail at katilac@bellsouth.net or at 328-9979.