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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Riverside Center
for Innovation,
Allegheny 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, President George
W. Bush 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Riverside Center for Innovation was selected to
receive two brownfields assessment grants. The
Center represents seven Allegheny River Valley
communities (total population 54,669), collectively
known as the Allegheny River Towns Enterprise Zone
(ARTEZ). This zone consists of approximately 930
acres of land along the north bank of the river about 12
miles from Pittsburgh. The access to waterways, the
proximity to the region's other industries, and the rich
natural resources of this Western Pennsylvania region
made the steel manufacturing ARTEZ region an
industrial powerhouse. The end of the industrial age
Assessment Grants
Y
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Riverside Center for Innova-
tion for two brownfields assessment grants.
Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
solicit community input, develop an inventory of
sites, conduct approximately six Phase I and three
Phase II site assessments, and develop cleanup
plans for selected sites within seven communities
along the lower Allegheny River Valley. Petroleum
funds will be used to perform the same tasks at
petroleum-contaminated sites.
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: Riverside Center for Innovation,
PA
412-322-3523
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
left these communities saddled with dwindling and
underemployed populations, and polluted, unusable
lands. Since 1970, four of the seven towns have lost 35
percent of their residents. Between 1990 and 2000,
Allegheny County lost over 15 percent of its manufac-
turing jobs, and lower-paying service jobs have been
replacing higher-wage manufacturing ones. Assess-
ment of brownfields will help the ARTEZ communities
mitigate the human health and environmental threats
posed by these sites, particularly to the more vulnerable
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-079
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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populations. Brownfields redevelopment will add light
industrial, retail, office, residential, and recreation space
to the region, and help the towns maintain their history
and vitality.
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