&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-98-192 July 1998 Assessment Demonstration Pilot East Point, GA Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA has selected the City of East Point for a Brownfields Pilot. East Point (population 32,607) is located southwest of Atlanta and is adj acentto Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport. The City's population is 66% African American, and as many as 36% of the residents in the targeted area live below the poverty level. The unemployment rate in these communities ranges from 12% to 17%, compared to the State's unemployment rate of 6.2%. East Point's industrial base has served Atlanta for more than 100 years. As Atlanta Hartsfield Airport has developed and grown, the surrounding communities have expanded to accommodate the airport's needs. Due to its industrial heritage and accompanying environmental legacy, however, East Point missed out on the majority of this growth due to real or perceived contamination. Within the City limits, there are various abandoned or idled industrial properties serving as a barrier to development and economic growth. In an effort to encourage growth in the area, East Point has identified a five-acre site known as "No Man's Land," located between the north and south branches of the South River, as a redevelopment candidate. The Pilot will focus on an abandoned cotton mill waste lagoon and neighboring properties. PILOT SNAPSHOT East Point, Georgia Date of Announcement: July 1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets a five-acre property, located near Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, that contains a cotton mill waste lagoon for cleanup and redevelopment. Contacts: City of East Point (404)765-1001 Regional Brownfields Team EPA-Region 4 (404) 562-8661 Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/wastepgs/brownfpgs/bf.htm For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- OBJECTIVES East Point's obj active is to preserve and revitalize the eroding City neighborhoods; encourage current residents to stay and entice new residents to settle; provide jobs and economic growth; and spur these communities back to social, environmental, and economic health. Ultimately, the City plans to redevelop the targeted area into an inland port. The Pilot's assessment of No Man's Land will initiate this larger City-wide effort. The Pilot will support and develop relationships with active neighborhood groups to continue coordinating the cleanup and revitalization efforts within the City' s overall planning process. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting comprehensive site sampling to identify contamination on the selected property; • Conducting a preliminary risk assessment; • Developing a preliminary design to identify the most cost-effective approach to clean up any contamination on the property; and • Developing and implementing a community outreach program to provide information to affected communities and get their input on cleanup and reuse options for the targeted area. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot East Point, Georgia July 1998 EPA500-F-98-192 ------- |