INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Ten Indiana communities are sharing in nearly $4.3 million in federal funding to address problems associated with old industrial sites known as brownfields.

The funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfield Assessment Grant program are intended to help spur growth in cities where contaminated industrial and commercial sites have been a drag on the economy.

The Indiana Finance Authority's director of environmental programs, Jim McGoff, says “brownfield redevelopment is a vital component in improving the economy, providing jobs, cleaning up neighborhoods'' and enhancing Hoosiers' quality of life.

The grant program provides funding for brownfields, inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach.

Southern Indiana's Henry County, the city of Kokomo and the Southern Indiana Development Commission received the largest grants. Each got $500,000 in grants.