5 o T> Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation, Gahanna, OH 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 Central Ohio Community Improvement Corpora- tion (COCIC) was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. COCIC is partnering with the City of Gahanna (population 34,469) in an effort to clean up the former Bedford I Landfill. Gahanna, once a rapidly growing, first ring suburb of Columbus, Ohio, is Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up soil and groundwater contamination at the Bedford I Landfill Section A, on Claycraft Road in the heart of the City of Gahanna's industrial district. Funds will be directed for surface water management and sedimentation ponds, and for cap replacement and repair. Approximately 10 million cubic yards of municipal, industrial, and special waste and construction debris were accepted at the landfill from 1970 to 1995. 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 5 Brownfields Team 312-886-7576 http: //www. epa.gov/R5 Brownfields/ Grant Recipient: Central Ohio Community Im- provement Corporation, OH 614-462-3430 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. approaching built-out status. Any growth in the city must involve in-fill development. The industrial district provides much of Gahanna's income tax revenue base and serves as an important regional employment center for the lower-income areas of Columbus and surround- ing counties. However, the uncertainties linked to the city's approximately 110 brownfields sites, especially in the targeted industrial district, discourage economic development and investment. The nearly 90-acre Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-06-127 May 2006 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- Bedford I site is the largest brownfield in the commu- nity. Cleanup of the landfill will help mitigate and prevent environmental problems, including runoff to Big Walnut Creek, landfill gas emissions, and poor air quality. The anticipated redevelopment plans for Bedford I include a golf facility and 300,000 square feet of new high-technology industrial and office space. This represents a significant capital investment and is expected to generate an estimated 4,000 new jobs and the accompanying tax revenues. ------- |