HI
                           C3
  Brownfields  2004

  Grant  Fact Sheet

 Washington County,  ID




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

Washington County was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. The targeted site is in
the City of Weiser. With a population of 4,600, Weiser
is the county seat of rural Washington County (popula-
tion 11,000). Once the commercial hub of the upper
Snake River Valley, Weiser is struggling to diversify
and create jobs. The city's poverty rate exceeds  15
percent, and the city's per capita income of $16,847 is
well below the $24,506 per capita income for Idaho as
a whole. The blight of the abandoned drycleaning site
detracts from the city's potential to attract new busi-
nesses to its commercial district, which is targeted for
redevelopment. Also, a tetrachloroethylene groundwa-
ter plume that may have  originated at the site threatens
  Assessment Grant
  $85,675 for hazardous substances

  EPA has selected Washington County for a
  brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
  stances grant funds will be used to perform an
  environmental assessment of a 0.3-acre
  drycleaning site in the city of Weiser's commercial
  district.
  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 10 Brownfields Team
  206-553-2100
  www.epa.gov/rlOearth, click on
  "Superfund,"scroll down to "Related Programs"
  and click on "Brownfields"

  Grant Recipient: Washington County, ID
  208-414-2789

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
domestic wells. Assessment of the site will help create
a more attractive business environment in the commer-
cial district and address potential health concerns.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-04-220
                        June 2004
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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