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 Brownfields  2005
 Grant  Fact  Sheet
 Lycoming  County,  PA
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, 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

Lycoming County was selected to  receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Lycoming County
(population 120,044), located in north central Pennsyl-
vania, is the largest in land area of all of the state's 67
counties. However, much of its land is either agricul-
tural, hilly, or near waterways where potential flooding
precludes commercial development. Therefore,
redevelopment of well-placed abandoned or
underutilized commercial properties is important to
promote economic growth and quality of life in the
county and its municipalities. These properties were
left behind as a result of the decline in the manufactur-
ing sector in the area. Among the four municipalities
targeted for assessment, between 48 and 53 percent of
  Assessment Grant
   $200,000 for hazardous substances
  EPA has selected Lycoming County for a
  brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be
  used to conduct community outreach activities,
  inventory and rank sites, and conduct at least nine
  Phase I and three Phase II environmental site
  assessments. Preference will be given to sites
  that are in the county's designated growth corri-
  dors and in areas that are approved for Keystone
  Opportunity Zone designations.
   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 3 Brownfields Team
  215-814-3129
  http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm

  Grant Recipient: Lycoming County, PA
  570-320-2134

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
residents are classified as having low or moderate
incomes. The median household income in the county
is 19 percent less than the national average. Assess-
ment of the area's brownfields sites will assist the
county in moving forward with its land recycling
initiative, to recapture old, underutilized, or blighted and
abandoned facilities. This will enable the creation of
employment opportunities and stimulate healthier
environmental and social conditions in the county.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA 560-F-05-043
                         May 2005
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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