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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

        Asheville,  NC


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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Asheville was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Asheville (population
72,789) is the most populous city in western North
Carolina. It has become a popular destination for
tourists and retirees and is experiencing significant
population growth. In order to maintain and develop its
economy and respond to these economic shifts, the city
needs higher paying jobs. Therefore, there is pressure
to accommodate development. Due to the area's
mountainous terrain, large parcels of land suitable for
business and industrial development are rare and
expensive. The city's brownfields program seeks to
benefit from the reuse of abandoned former industrial
sites. One of the targeted areas is the French  Broad
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the City of Asheville for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to perform up to
 10 Phase I and four Phase II environmental site
 assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to
 perform up to four Phase I and Phase II environ-
 mental site assessments.  Grant funds also will be
 used to identify, characterize, and prioritize sites,
 and 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

 Grant Recipient: City of Asheville, NC
 828-251-6622

 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.
Riverfront community, where some neighborhoods
have poverty rates of over 40 percent.  Assessments
conducted through these grant funds are expected to
encourage brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-079
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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