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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Yankton, SD
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 City of Yankton was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Yankton, the economic hub
of southeast South Dakota, is an agricultural service
center with 13,528 residents. Both per capita and
family income levels in Yankton fall below national
averages. Recent downturns in the local economy have
strained the community's financial resources. Six
hundred jobs were lost as a result of recent business
closings. Three manufacturing plants, two major
discount stores, and a large department store also have
closed, increasing the city's unemployment rate. The
poverty rate in the target community is 25 percent. In
2002, the city and county of Yankton were declared a
federal disaster area following a series of severe
Cleanup Grant
$170,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Yankton for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be
used to clean up soils contaminated with chro-
mium, lead, and PCBs at the former Jensen Scrap
Yard at 204 Mulberry Street. Grant funds also will
be used to conduct community involvement
activities.
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: City of Yankton, SD
605-665-5220
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
droughts. The effects of the droughts still are being
felt. The target brownfield property, the Jensen Scrap
Yard, is the most contaminated brownfield site in the
city. It was used at various points as a scrap yard,
railroad line, and industrial storage facility for bulk oil.
Cleanup of this site will remove a public health threat,
eliminate the main impediment to development in the
downtown area, and preserve open space on the
fringes of the city.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-05-129
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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