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  Brownfields 2004

  Grant  Fact Sheet

    Bucks  County,  PA




EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
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, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
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 pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

Bucks County was selected to receive a brownfields
revolving loan fund grant. Bucks County is located
north of Philadelphia along the Delaware River, a
location once prized by industry for its convenience and
easy access to transportation. As transportation laws
changed, industry relocated, leaving behind abandoned
and underutilized sites. About 168,766 of Bucks
County's 597,635  residents live in the five target
communities. The area has been designated a state
Enterprise Zone. These communities represent the
county's highest rates of poverty and unemployment.
Cleanup and the eventual revitalization of the riverfront
properties are expected to stimulate the economy,
bringing jobs to the area and increasing local revenues.
                       Revolving Loan Fund
                       Grant
                       $1,000,000 for petroleum

                       EPA has selected Bucks County for a brownfields
                       revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used
                       in several communities in Lower Bucks County to
                       capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the
                       county will provide loans and subgrants to support
                       cleanup activities for sites contaminated with
                       petroleum. The potential sites are primarily in five
                       communities along an approximately 25-mile
                       stretch of the Delaware River: Bensalem Town-
                       ship, Bristol Borough, Bristol Township, Falls
                       Township, and Morrisville Borough.
                       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/index.htm

                       Grant Recipient: Bucks County, PA
                       215-781-8711

                       The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
                       yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
                       in this fact sheet are subject to change.
                    Plans for the waterfront include mixed-use develop-
                    ment of commercial, residential, office and recreational
                    facilities and greenspace.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                                             EPA560-F-04-114
                                             June 2004
                                             www.epa.gov/brownfields

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