Mahoning Valley - Governor Dewine's efforts to expedite two grant programs dealing with the revitalization of brownfields were reported last week and now organizations can start moving closer to obtaining the funds.

The portal to apply for state money opened Wednesday and the Western Reserve Port Authority is already jumping at the chance.

They have applied for a study to be done on 200 acres of the former Republic Steel property in Warren to see how it can best be cleaned up.

"They're gonna do boring samples, coring samples, look for hotspots where there may be asbestos or other chemicals that bled into the earth and may need remediation," Western Reserve Port Authority COO Anthony Trevena said.

The grant will help the WRPA conduct a year-long environmental study on the site, which is needed before talks of revitalization and further economic development can take place.