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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Oregon Economic and
Community
Development
Department
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 Oregon Economic and Community Development
Department (OECDD) was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. The state has suffered
from high unemployment rates, slow business growth,
and a weak economy since 2001. Approximately 12.5
percent of the state's 3,541,500 residents live below the
federally defined poverty level, and the state unemploy-
ment rate is 7.4 percent. The state's per capita income
has been consistently below that of other states.
OECDD's goal is to identify and prepare industrial
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Oregon Economic and
Community Development Department (OECDD)
for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds
will be used to perform Phase I and II site
assessments at up to nine industrially zoned
properties, prepare at least one Analysis of
Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives feasibility study,
and conduct community outreach 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 10 Brownfields Team
206-553-2100
http://www.epa.gov/rlOearth, click on
"Superfund", scroll down and click on
"Brownfields"
Grant Recipient: Oregon Economic and Commu-
nity Development Department
503-986-0191
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
sites, including brownfields, to take advantage of
immediate development opportunities. Redevelopment
will enable communities to build on the advantages of
industrially zoned properties that are served by infra-
structure and can increase local tax revenue by
bringing underutilized, abandoned, or vacant properties
back to taxable use. Brownfields assessment will not
only quantify real or potential barriers to redevelop-
ment, but also will foster interest in and momentum for
bringing these properties closer to the communities'
goals of new industrial development, sustainable
family-wage jobs, and a safer, healthier environment.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-05-157
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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