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EPA Awards Brownfields Grants in Florida

Release Date: 06/15/2004
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

Grants total $1.6 million for assessments and cleanups The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has awarded Brownfields Grants to help communities in the state of Florida evaluate the environmental contamination of brownfield sites. The Brownfields grants help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem properties to productive community use. Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In January 2002, President Bush signed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, which authorizes up to $250 million in funds annually for Brownfields grants. The 2002 law expanded the definition of what's considered a Brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs. Grants announced today include: MIAMI, FL Brownfields Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances, $200,000 for petroleum Hazardous substances grant funds and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct an inventory of potential brownfield sites in the Little Haiti area, and conduct assessments at priority sites. Grant funds will also be used to conduct redevelopment and health/risk planning, and community outreach activities. MIAMI MODEL CITY COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION DISTRICT TRUST, FL Brownfields Cleanup Grants $400,000 for petroleum Grant funds will be used to conduct cleanup activities at the former Gipson's Service Station at 1501 NW 62nd Street and at the former JG Shamrock/Supreme Service Station at 6200 NW 17th Avenue. Soil contamination at the Gipson site is widespread, and includes petroleum hydrocarbon constituents. Both soil and groundwater at the Shamrock site have widespread petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. OCALA, FL Brownfields Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances Grant funds will be used to inventory and characterize potential brownfield sites in the city's Community Redevelopment Area, and to perform assessments at selected sites. Grant funds will also be used to conduct community outreach activities. PINELLAS COUNTY, FL Brownfields Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances, $200,000 for petroleum Hazardous substances and petroleum funds will both be used to conduct environmental assessments, and other assessment activities in the Cross Bayou and Lealman Districts. In addition, the grant will be used to develop 14 quality assurance project plans and at least four limited site assessments. TAMPA, FL Brownfields Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum Grant funds will be used to perform assessments of up to 12 potential brownfield properties in the seven-square-mile East Tampa study area. Funds also will be used to prioritize assessment needs, conduct environmental justice analyses, develop community outreach programs, and provide potential investors with site-specific information. In all, 219 applicants, including five tribal nations, were selected to receive 265 grants. The $75.4 million will provide: 155 assessment grants totaling $37.6 million to be used to conduct planning for eventual cleanup at one or more Brownfield sites or as part of a community-wide effort. 92 cleanup grants totaling $16.9 million to provide funding for grant recipients to carry out cleanup activities at Brownfield sites they own. 18 revolving loan fund grants totaling $20.9 million to provide funding for communities to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at Brownfields sites. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low or zero interest loans for Brownfields cleanups. In March, 16 communities received job training grants totaling $2.47 million to teach environmental-cleanup job skills to 1,080 individuals living in low-income areas near Brownfields sites. To date, more than 60 percent of people completing Brownfields training programs have obtained employment in the environmental field with an average hourly wage of $12.84. The Brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. Since the beginning of the Brownfields program, EPA has awarded 554 assessment grants totaling over $150 million,171 revolving loan fund grants totaling over $145 million, and 66 cleanup grants totaling $11.4 million. In addition to industrial and commercial redevelopment, Brownfields approaches have included the conversion of industrial waterfronts to river-front parks, landfills to golf courses, and rail corridors to recreational trails. EPA's Brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $5.8 billion in private investment, helped create more than 27,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment of more than 4,500 properties. For more information on the grant recipients, go to: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields