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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Essex County, NJ
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, the President
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. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
Essex County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Essex County is a densely populated
county, where more than 15 percent of its 793,633
residents live below the poverty level, and more than
56 percent are minorities. In some pockets of the
county, these numbers rise to more than 19 and 94
percent respectively. The county's brownfields sites
are located in older residential neighborhoods, where a
workforce arose around the factories constructed in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The vacant and
abandoned buildings invite illegal dumping, attract
trespassers, and pose potential health hazards.
Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment are expected to
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Essex County for a brownfields
assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant
funds will be used to expand a brownfields
coalition established in 2000, augment an existing
database, identify brownfields clusters, conduct
community-based planning to determine the end
use of selected clusters, and perform pre-remedial
site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be
used to augment an existing database, conduct
community-based planning to determine the end
use of selected clusters, and perform pre-remedial
site assessments.
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 2 Brownfields Team
212-637-4314
http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/
brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Essex County, NJ
973-395-8422
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
rebuild the county's shrinking tax base and provide
increased opportunities for housing, employment and
recreational amenities.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-04-044
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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