MONTICELLO -- The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 6 announced that it will give $500,000 to the Sullivan County Land Bank Corporation as a Brownfield Cleanup Grant. Grant funds are slated to be used to clean up Monticello Manor at 15 High Street in  Monticello.

The buildings on the 5.6-acre operated as a hospital from 1923 to 1977. It was then converted to a nursing home that closed in 2008. The site currently is vacant and has been used by homeless residents for shelter in recent years.

The site is contaminated with petroleum from leaking aboveground and underground storage tanks, and other contaminants.

The announcement was applauded by Congressman Antonio Delgado. He said, "Support for remediating this brownfield location in Monticello will help to improve the landscape, create jobs, and grow the economy. I will continue to prioritize environmental protection in our region.”