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  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

 Bible Baptist Church,

       Savannah,  GA



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

Bible Baptist Church was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. The targeted former
Martha's Drycleaner site is in the Savannah State
neighborhood (population 1,392), where more than 21
percent of residents live below the poverty level, and
72.4 percent of residents are minorities. Today, the site
is a rundown, vacant strip mall that is viewed by local
residents as a blight on the community. The presence
of tetrachloroethene  at the site poses a potential threat
to human health and the environment. Once cleanup is
completed, Bible Baptist Church intends to build a
community center next to the site that will offer day
care and counseling services. The site itself will be
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected Bible Baptist Church for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up the former
 Martha's Drycleaner site located at 4608
 Skidaway Road in Savannah. The site is a 1.5-
 acre former dry cleaner that operated from 1986
 to 2000. Grant funds will be used to address soil
 contaminated with chlorinated solvents. Grant
 funds also will be used to support community
 involvement 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 4 Brownfields Team
 404-562-8792
 http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

 Grant Recipient: Bible Baptist Church, GA
 912-352-3020

 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.
used as a parking area for the community center and
as greenspace. It is expected that brownfields redevel-
opment will increase area property values and provide
new employment opportunities for residents.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-07-018
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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