Flint Receives Second Round of Funding for Chevy in the Hole Site

The City of Flint will receive a second round of grant funding from the U.S. Forest Service to continue tree planting and natural remediation of the Chevy in the Hole brownfield site along the Flint River. $250,000 will be used to provide service and support for the planting of an additional 1,000 trees in the area.

Species such as willows, poplars, spruce, dogwood and river birch will be planted in areas of the site to put the root systems of the trees in contact with contaminated soil and ground water. The roots systems will absorb the toxic substances and over time reduce the environmental contamination. The process also protects against contamination of the Flint River, which is part of the Great Lakes water basin.

“The second round of funding is aligned with the long-term goal of making the Flint River corridor a green, healthy natural area that is an asset to the community,” said Mayor Dayne Walling. “The strong partnership with Flint and the federal government is vital for moving this project forward.”

The funding comes from the U.S. Forest Service Northeastern Area’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) program, which is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to advance the restoration of the Great Lakes through a variety of forest conservation activities.

Partners in the local project also include the Center for Community Progress, Kettering University, Genesee County Land Bank, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Flint River Corridor Alliance and the Flint River Watershed Coalition.