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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

          Weirton,  WV


EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is 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. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Weirton was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in the northern
panhandle of West Virginia, the City of Weirton
(population 20,500) has an economy that has depended
on the steel industry. The Mittal Steel Company
currently owns more than one third of the land parcels
in Weirton. The decline of the steel industry has led to
a loss of jobs. The city's population decreased almost
5.5 percent between 2000 and 2005, and more than 25
percent of the population is 65 years old or older. The
Cove Elementary School site, located in the center of
downtown Weirton, has been abandoned for about 15
years. When the site is cleaned up, the city plans to
redevelop it into senior housing and greenspace. The
greenspace will provide a central park and serve as a
corridor to adjacent recreational areas. The city
                   Cleanup Grant
                   $200,000 for hazardous substances
                   EPA has selected the City of Weirton for a
                   brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
                   grant funds will be used to clean up the Cove
                   Elementary School at 100 Cove Road. The school
                   was used from 1911 until 1991. Contamination
                   includes inorganic contaminants and heavy metals.
                   Contacts
                   For further information, including specific grant
                   contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
                   news and events, and publications and links, visit
                   the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
                   brownfields.

                   EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team
                   215-814-3129
                   http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs

                   Grant Recipient: City of Weirton, WV
                   304-797-8503

                   The information presented in this fact sheet comes
                   from  the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
                   accuracy of this information. The cooperative
                   agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
                   ated.  Therefore, activities described in this fact
                   sheet are subject to change.
                   expects the redevelopment to stimulate improvements
                   to adjacent facilities and other revitalization efforts for
                   the downtown area.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                                           EPA 560-F-08-254
                                           July 2008
                                           www.epa.gov/brownfields

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