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  Brownfields  2004

  Grant  Fact Sheet

      Lumber City,  GA




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

Lumber City was selected to receive  a brownfields
assessment grant. The former manufacturing site
targeted for assessment once was the center of
economic activity in Lumber City (population 1,247)
and the  surrounding area. When the plant closed in
2001, it created a ripple effect throughout the three-
county target area (population 30,657): 450 residents
lost their jobs, small businesses closed, sales of homes
and automobiles declined, and government services
were cut due to the declining tax base. Per capita
income  in Lumber City is less than half the state
income, and almost 19 percent of families live in
poverty. The family poverty rates for the three sur-
rounding counties range from 17 to 22 percent. Rede-
                       Assessment Grant
                       $200,000 for hazardous substances

                       EPA has selected Lumber City for a brownfields
                       assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to
                       perform a complete environmental site assess-
                       ment on a former manufacturing plant believed to
                       be contaminated with hazardous substances.
                       Remaining funds will be used to inventory,
                       prioritize, and, if funding is available, assess
                       additional sites in the three surrounding counties
                       of Telfaer, Jeff Davis, and Wheeler.
                       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 4 Brownfields Team
                       404-562-8493
                       http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

                       Grant Recipient: Lumber City, GA
                       478-374-4771

                       The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
                       yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
                       described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
                    velopment of the site into a mixed-use industrial park
                    will help bring much needed jobs to the area, increase
                    tax revenue, and spark economic revitalization in the
                    region. The redevelopment will also add greenspace and
                    recreational areas for city residents.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                                             EPA 560-F-04-075
                                             June 2004
                                             www.epa.gov/brownfields

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