Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer was informed Thursday that the town of Thorsby was approved for a “100-percent covered” assessment grant for its old elementary school.

Hilyer submitted information to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting funding for the town’s old school.

The school has been inactive for numerous years and has been categorized as a “brownfield” structure—a “real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.”

The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides financial and technical assistance for brownsfields revitalization, including grants for environmental assessment, cleanup and job training.

“We’re just waiting for the assessment and the cleanup to see if the building is worth it,” said Hilyer. “Right now, the 20-percent matchup for the cleanup is being waived so it will be at zero cost for the town.”