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  Brownfields  2006

  Grant  Fact Sheet

   Acadiana Regional

 Development District,

        South  Central

            Louisiana


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 Acadiana Regional Development District (ARDD)
was selected to receive a brownfields assessment
grant. Located in south central Louisiana, the ARDD
covers eight parishes and 49 municipalities (total
population 602,654) in the heart of Cajun Country.
Most of the ARDD towns and parishes have been
experiencing rural flight and an out-migration of the
younger generation, leaving behind several vacant and
blighted businesses and light industries that pose a
  Assessment Grant
  $200,000 for petroleum

  EPA has selected the Acadiana Regional Devel-
  opment District for a brownfields assessment
  grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to rank
  sites eligible for assessment, perform Phase I and
  II environmental site assessments, conduct
  community outreach activities, and develop
  cleanup plans for sites around the District.
  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 6 Brownfields Team
  214-665-2241
  http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields

  Grant Recipient: Acadiana Regional Development
  District, LA
  337-886-7782

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
potential threat to the communities. Numerous aban-
doned oil and gas drilling sites with suspected contami-
nation sit on the outskirts of area towns. Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita contributed to the blight, destroying
businesses and properties and bringing an influx of
evacuees to the area. The demographics of the region
indicate a significant discrepancy between the residents
of the ARDD and the general population of the United
States. Nearly 22 percent of area residents live below
the poverty level, 27.5 percent are African-American,
and 31 percent of adults do not have high school diplo-
mas. Assessment and eventual cleanup of the area's
brownfields sites will allow the ARDD to convert them
into commercial centers, parks, recreational areas, and
                                               Solid Waste and
                                               Emergency Response
                                               (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-06-141
                         May 2006
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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community centers. Revitalization of brownfields is
expected to improve economic conditions in the area
by providing jobs, and encouraging new businesses.

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