Brownfields  2005
  Grant  Fact  Sheet
             Waco,  TX
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 Waco was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. The city's population is
113,726, with 3,033 residents living within the target
area around the Southwest Chemical Company site.
The site lies in downtown's Brazos River Corridor,
which is a federally designated Enterprise Zone/
Enterprise Community. This area was an economically
viable neighborhood until the mid-to-late 1960s. Since
that time, the community has lost businesses, schools,
and homeowners, and has experienced less growth
than the west side of downtown Waco. The community
around the site has a minority population of 88 percent,
and almost half of the population lives below the
poverty level. The target site is an abandoned building
   Cleanup Grant
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l2005£]
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   $200,000 for hazardous substances

   EPA has selected the City of Waco for a
   brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be
   used to perform community outreach, off-site
   planning, cleanup planning, and cleanup activities
   for the Southwest Chemical Company "Blue
   Building" site. The site is contaminated with
   chemical and pesticide constituents associated
   with the former chemical batching facility.
   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/earth 1 r6/6sf/bfpages/
   sfbfhome.htm

   Grant Recipient: City of Waco, TX
   254-750-8001

   The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
   yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
   in this fact sheet are subject to change.
that was originally used in the 1950s for chemical
batching of pesticides and herbicides, and later used for
a number of commercial businesses. The in-ground
mixing basin developed leaks overtime, which caused
underground contamination. Referred to as the "Blue
Building," the abandoned building and associated
property are located along a major thoroughfare of the
city. Cleanup would provide an opportunity for redevel-
opment in a part of the city that is showing some signs
of positive economic recovery, eliminate blight, and
improve soil and water quality.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA 560-F-05-064
                         May 2005
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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