5 o T> Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet Boulder County, CO EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders 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 Boulder County was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. The target area is the Lefthand Creek Watershed in Boulder County (population 290,588), which is located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed includes Lefthand Creek, James Creek, and Little James Creek. Precious metal mining in the watershed began in the mid-1800s and ceased in the 1990s. The historical mining and milling usage of the Lefthand Creek has left behind mine- scarred lands and a legacy of heavy metal and acid contamination in surface water and groundwater. This contamination affects the local water supply, habitat areas, and wetlands. The watershed serves as the primary drinking water supply for the 18,000 residen- tial customers of the Lefthand Water District. Cleanup of the Argo Mine site will help reduce potential Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected Boulder County for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 13.7-acre Argo Mine site in the Lefthand Watershed in Boulder. The Argo Mine was historically mined for Fluorspar, along with other hardrock mines in the watershed. The mine is loading copper, iron, zinc and magnesium into Little James Creek. 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 8 Brownfields Team 303-312-6757 http://www. epa.gov/regionO 8/land_waste/bfhome/ bfhome.html Grant Recipient: Boulder County, CO 303-678-6276 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. exposure to contaminants and prevent further degrada- tion of Little James Creek. The county intends to use the site for open space, further preventing any future contaminants from entering the stream. Cleanup is expected to remove the contamination stigma, thereby improving real estate values and the economic growth potential of the area. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-06-162 May 2006 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |