Brownfields  2005

  Grant Fact Sheet

     l/Vestem Piedmont

            Council of

Governments, Western

        North Carolina


 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

 The Western Piedmont Council of Governments was
 selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant.
 The Council represents Alexander, Burke, Caldwell,
 and Catawba Counties, with a combined population of
 341,851. The four-county area has lost more than
 12,000 jobs since 2000, and has a per capita income
 lower than the national median. All four counties have
 unemployment rates higher than the national average.
 With the losses of its textile, apparel, and furniture
 industries, the area also has been left with abandoned
  Assessment Grant
                                A2005
                                ^%yT
  $200,000 for hazardous substances

  EPA has selected the Western Piedmont Council
  of Governments for a brownfields assessment
  grant. Grant funds will be used to create a
  brownfields inventory, and perform at least one
  Phase I site assessment in each of the four
  member counties. Funds also will be used for
  cleanup planning.
  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
  404-562-8684
  http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

  Grant Recipient: Western Piedmont Council of
  Governments, NC
  828-322-9191, ext. 251

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
and dilapidated buildings. Since much of the area is
located within the Water Supply IV Watershed,
contaminated properties may be affecting the area's
water supply. Cleanup of these sites will help prevent
contamination from reaching the water supply and
reduce resource consumption by reusing already
developed properties. Brownfields redevelopment will
encourage new investment, create jobs, preserve
existing greenfields, and rehabilitate community blight.
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                       EPA 560-F-05-049
                       May 2005
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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