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  Brownfields  2005

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

            Great Falls

         Development

         Authority, MT


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 Great Falls Development Authority was selected
to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund grant.
Great Falls (population 56,690) is a regional center in
north central Montana. It accounts for 71 percent of
the population of Cascade County. Two-thirds of the
county's private sector jobs are weighted toward low-
paying retail and service jobs. Wages in the county are
68 percent of the national average. The City of Great
Falls recently lost  more than 600 jobs. The target area
is the riverfront redevelopment area along the Missouri
River. This area, which has a 16.6 percent poverty
rate, includes 14 separate sites with a range of con-
                      Revolving Loan Fund 2005}
                      Grant
                      $600,000 for hazardous substances
                      $400,000 for petroleum

                      EPA has selected the Great Falls Development
                      Authority for a brownfields revolving loan fund
                      grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolv-
                      ing loan fund from which the Great Falls Develop-
                      ment Authority will provide loans and subgrants to
                      support cleanup activities for sites in areas con-
                      taminated with hazardous substances and petro-
                      leum. Loans and subgrants will be made to support
                      redevelopment projects in the Brownfields
                      Riverfront Redevelopment Area of the city.
                      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 8 Brownfields Team
                      303-312-6803
                      http://www.epa.gov/region08/land_waste/bfhome/
                      bfhome.html

                      Grant Recipient: Great Falls Development
                      Authority, MT
                      406-454-1934

                      The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
                      yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
                      in this fact sheet are subject to change.
                   taminants such as pesticides, metals, asbestos, petro-
                   leum, and solvents. Cleanup and development of the
                   properties in the area will reduce the threats to the
                   health and welfare of the disadvantaged populations in
                   surrounding neighborhoods. Redevelopment also will
                   greatly improve the visual aesthetics of the neighbor-
                   hood and create jobs close to where residents live. The
                   area is considered a key location for office parks and
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                                           EPA560-F-05-126
                                           May 2005
                                           www.epa.gov/brownfields

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medical service facilities, since it combines river
frontage and parkland with access and proximity to
two of Great Falls' primary business districts.

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