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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Northern Mariana
Islands Department
of Public Lands
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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public
Lands was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup
grant. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands (population 69,221) consists of 14 islands with
a total land area of 183.5 square miles. The largest
island, Saipan, is about 100 miles northeast of Guam
and 3,300 miles west of Honolulu. Since becoming a
commonwealth of the United States in 1976, the
islands have experienced a population boom and a
demand for guest workers. Today, 56.5 percent of
residents are non-U.S. citizens. The unemployment
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Northern Mariana Islands
Department of Public Lands for a brownfields
cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds
will be used to clean up the Marpi Point Village
Homestead site on the northern end of the island of
Saipan. The 153-acre site was originally used to
grow sugar cane and then was used by the U.S.
military to stage ordnance during World War II. It
is contaminated with unexploded ordnance and
explosives. Grant funds also will be used to
support community outreach activities, including
publishing materials in the Commonwealth's three
official languages: English, Chamorro, and Caro-
linian.
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 9 Brownfields Team
415-972-3091
http://www.epa.gov/region9/brownfields
Grant Recipient: Northern Mariana Islands
Department of Public Lands
670-234-3751
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
rate is 15.9 percent, and 46 percent of residents live
below the poverty level. The indigenous people of the
Commonwealth are eligible for public homestead land
grants to own property and build homes. When the
Marpi Point Village Homestead site is cleaned up, the
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-08-199
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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Commonwealth plans to issue properties to more than
500 homestead applicants for home construction.
Home construction must take place within three years.
and this redevelopment is expected to create new jobs
and expand the Commonwealth's tax base, as well as
create new parks and greenspace.
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