United States
                   Environmental
                   Protection Agency
                   Washington, D.C. 20460
 Solid Waste
 and Emergency
 Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-00-131
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
  \>EPA   Brownfields Assessment
                   Demonstration  Pilot
                                                          West Monroe, LA
 Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
                   Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative  is designed to empower states, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states,
tribes, municipalities, and communities with  useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods
to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the City of West Monroe for a
Brownfields Pilot. Chartered just over a century ago,
WestMonroe (population 14,096) enjoyed athriving
economy and was consideredamajorcotton producing,
processing, and shipping hub.  However, with the
decline of industrial operations in the area, many
properties were abandoned. More than 20 percent of
the city' s population lives below the poverty level, and
the unemployment rate is as high as 7.4 percent. The
city recently initiated a revitalization effort, consisting
of the reclamation and development of an old sand
and gravel mine, which has generated community
support for further renewal of the area and created
new business growth.  The Pilot will target West
Monroe's portion of Ouachita, a federally designated
Enterprise Community.

OBJECTIVES

The Pilot's will target up to four sites for assessment
and subsequent cleanup and redevelopment. The
city intends to advance its overall development
potential by returning abandoned and underutilized
properties to active, effective,  and productive use
throughout the city's incorporated areas and along
the city's edge. The Pilot will conduct an inventory
PILOT SNAPSHOT
                    Date of Announcement:
                    May 2000

                    Amount: $200,000

                    Profile: The Pilot will target
                    brownfields in West Monroe's
                    portion of Ouachita Parish, a
                    federally designated Enterprise
                    Community.
   WestMonroe, LA
Contacts:
CityofWestMonroe, Louisiana
(318)396-2600
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 6
(214)665-6736
     Visit the EPA Region 6 Brownfields web site at:
 http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6sf/bfpages/sfbfhome.htm

   For further information, including specific Pilot contacts,
 additional Pilot information, brown fields news and events, and
 publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
         http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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of brownfields sites within the city limits and identify
brownfields sites with viable redevelopment potential.
The city also plans to conduct community outreach
and encourage community involvement, as well as
leverage  additional funding  for cleanup  and
redevelopment activities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Conducting an inventory of brownfields sites with
  important development and historic characteristics;

• Establishing a local geographic information system
  (GIS);

• Conducting Phase I assessments on  up to 20
  brownfields;

• Targeting  up to four brownfields  for Phase II
  assessment  and  cleanup and  redevelopment
  planning; and

• Conducting community outreach and encouraging
  community involvement in the targeted areas.

The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot                                                West Monroe, LA
 May2000                                                                        EPA 500-F-00-131

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