5 o T> Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Challis, ID 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 Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. IDPR serves the State of Idaho (population 1,393,262). The target site is in Custer County (population 4,114), a rural, mountainous region where the economy relies heavily on ranching, mining, and tourism. Custer County's median household income is approximately 14 percent less than the state's median, its unemploy- ment rate is 8.3 percent, and 14.3 percent of residents live below the poverty level. Heavy metal concentra- tions in abandoned mining lands represent an exces- sive risk to recreational users of the property and local Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 60-acre Historic Bayhorse Mining District Townsite, in Section 3, Township 12N 18E, at the Boise Meridian. The contamination is a result of the primitive milling and smelting technologies employed in the late 1800s. 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 http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/ sites/bf Grant Recipient: Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, ID 208-334-4180, ext. 253 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. residents. When the site is cleaned up, IDPR proposes using the property for a historic state park. The new state park will allow for an increase in tourism and increase the demand for tourist-based facilities such as hotels, restaurants, and camping facilities in the area. The community will benefit culturally and economically from revitalized brownfields. Brownfields redevelop- ment will create jobs, reduce the public's exposure to heavy metal contamination, prevent future brownfields by ensuring that future mining operations do not take place on the land, and preserve greenspace. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-06-197 May 2006 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |