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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
New Orleans, LA
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
The City of New Orleans was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. New Orleans, a city of
approximately 490,000 residents in southeastern
Louisiana, is a federal Renewal Community. According
to 2002 census data, New Orleans has the largest
proportion of African-Americans in any large city in
the United States (more than 67 percent). The unem-
ployment rate in the city is 14.4 percent, and 20.5
percent of households had incomes of less than
$10,000 in 2003. The central city of New Orleans has
a population of 19,072, of whom approximately 87.1
percent are African-American. In that area, 25 percent
live below the poverty level. There are at least 100
closed service stations throughout this area and the rest
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of New Orleans to
receive a brownfields assessment grant. Hazard-
ous substances grant funds will be used to conduct
assessments of the nature and extent of contami-
nation at two sites proposed for expansion of a
local high school in the central city. Grant funds
will also be used for a corrective action plan, and
community outreach. Petroleum grant funds will
be used to identify and inventory closed service
station sites throughout the city, and to perform as
many Phase I assessments at these sites as
funding will permit. Grant funds will also be used
for community outreach and to identify insurance
policies owned for the petroleum properties and
develop strategies to file claims for these sites.
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
214-665-2180
http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields
Grant Recipient: New Orleans, LA
504-565-8115
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
of the city. Brownfields redevelopment is expected to
develop new industry, create jobs and training opportu-
nities, renovate old housing stock, and address environ-
mental justice issues.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-04-158
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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