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Brownfields 2006
Grant Fact Sheet
New Orleans
Regional Business
Park, LA
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders 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 New Orleans Regional Business Park (NORBP)
was selected to receive two brownfields assessment
grants. One of the largest industrial parks in the United
States, the NORBP is a 7,000-acre business park
located completely within the boundaries of the City
of New Orleans (population 469,032). Approximately
286 potential brownfields have been identified
throughout New Orleans. At least 12 of these are
within the NORBP district. One of the largest brown-
fields in the area is a former municipal incinerator. In
addition, there are illegal refuse dump sites, automo-
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Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the New Orleans Regional
Business Park for two brownfields assessment
grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be
used to inventory and characterize sites, complete
at least six Phase I and three Phase II environ-
mental site assessments, and prepare at least two
risk-based cleanup plans for sites in the regional
business park in eastern New Orleans. The
inventory and characterization of brownfields
also will include properties potentially contami-
nated by flooding related to Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. Petroleum grant funds will be used to
perform the same tasks at sites with potential
petroleum contamination.
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 6 Brownfields Team
214-665-2241
http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields
Grant Recipient: New Orleans Regional Business
Park, LA
504-710-5559
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
bile junkyards, and pesticide manufacturers. The
largely African-American population (77.3 percent) of
the NORBP census tract has few conveniences and
contains the majority of the city's large-scale apartment
complexes. Prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
approximately 87 firms employing 11,743 individuals
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-06-144
May 2006
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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and generating spending that supported another 26,428
jobs in the New Orleans economy were operating in the
NORBP. However, economic development in the
NORBP district has been stifled by the presence of
unsightly commercial operations and practices that
have created blight and environmental risks. Assess-
ment and eventual cleanup of the brownfields in the
NORBP will preserve greenspace and natural re-
sources, create jobs, and increase the district's eco-
nomic development potential.
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