5
              o
                            T>

  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

         Scranton,  PA


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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Scranton was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located in northeastern
Pennsylvania, Scranton (population 72,861) is a former
heavily industrialized community. As a result of the
decline of the anthracite coal industry, the city's
industrial and commercial base changed. Since 1930,
Scranton has lost more than 50 percent of its popula-
tion. Today, more than 17 percent of the city's residents
live below the poverty level. Average per capita and
median household incomes in the city are lower than
county and state averages.  Through informal brown-
fields inventory efforts, the city has identified more
than 19 potential brownfields in residential communities
as well as the downtown and riverfront districts.
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Scranton for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to inventory and
 prioritize sites for assessment and to conduct at
 least eight Phase I and five Phase II environmental
 site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
 support community involvement and health moni-
 toring activities.
 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 3 Brownfields Team
 215-814-3129
 http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs

 Grant Recipient: City of Scranton, PA
 570-348-4216

 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
Brownfields assessment is expected to help remove
the barrier of uncertainty about potential
environmental contamination and improve the
marketability of properties to prospective purchasers
and developers.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA 560-F-08-057
                         April 2008
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------