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  Brownfields  2006

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

           Albany,  NY


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

The City of Albany was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located in eastern New
York, Albany (population 93,919) became the state
capital in 1797. As the seat of state government and
home to many educational institutions, Albany has one
of the highest rates of tax-exempt property in the state,
and a large portion of the city is not available for
redevelopment. Since 1950, the city has lost 37
percent of its population. As the city endeavors to
reverse its negative trends, the lack of readily available
properties for development has become a barrier to
economic recovery. Albany is focusing its assessment
of petroleum-contaminated sites in eight neighbor-
hoods that have poverty rates of at least 20 percent and
unemployment rates at least 125 percent of the state
average. These distressed communities also contain a
  Assessment Grant
  $200,000 for petroleum

  EPA has selected the City of Albany for a
  brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant
  funds will be used to perform up to four Phase I
  and three Phase II environmental site assess-
  ments, develop cleanup plans, 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 2 Brownfields Team
  212-637-4314
  http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/
  brownfields/

  Grant Recipient: City of Albany, NY
  518-434-5265

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
disproportionate number of brownfields sites, which
have hampered investment and redevelopment. When
brownfields are redeveloped, they will be used for
housing, retail space, wholesale and service trade
facilities, and greenspace. Brownfields redevelopment
will create increased job opportunities, provide a wider
availability of goods and services to underserved areas,
expand the tax base, and reduce the exposure of resi-
dents to pollutants.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                          EPA 560-F-06-037
                          May 2006
                          www.epa.gov/brownfields

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