O
 Brownfields 2005
  Grant  Fact Sheet
     l/l/esf Monroe,  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, 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 City of West Monroe was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. West Monroe (popula-
tion 13,250) has a per capita income of $16,803 and a
poverty rate of 22 percent, which are close to the
averages for the State of Louisiana. However, within
the target area, Census Tract 56, the poverty rate is
nearly 37 percent and 48 percent of residents are
minority. This tract is West Monroe's portion of
Ouachita Parish's federally designated Enterprise
Community. Under the original cooperative agreement
with the EPA, the city developed a detailed brownfields
inventory and prioritized the sites. These sites consist
of a variety of manufacturing and commercial facilities,
including dry cleaners, and printing, electrical repair,
                                                                    1
  Assessment Grant    (gocpl
   $200,000 for hazardous substances

   EPA has selected the City of West Monroe for a
   brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be
   used to conduct community outreach, perform a
   thorough site compliance review, conduct site
   assessments, and develop cleanup plans for sites
   throughout the city, with an emphasis on sites in
   Census Tract 56.
   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
  214-665-6736
  http://www.epa.gov/earthlr6/6sf/bfpages/
  sfbfhome.htm

  Grant Recipient: City of West Monroe, LA
  318-323-5700

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
tire repair, and auto paint shops. Nearly 20 of the 100
identified sites are located in the target area. The
presence of these brownfields has contributed to the
deterioration of already suffering, older, established
parts of town. Assessment and cleanup of the sites will
allow West Monroe to convert sites previously plagued
by environmental uncertainty to good locations for
reuse and attract people back into the heart of the
community.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-05-112
                         May 2005
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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