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  Brownfields 2007

  Grant  Fact Sheet

           Catano,  PR


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 Municipality of Catano (population 27,488) was
selected to receive a brownfields  assessment grant.
The La Puntilla sector of the municipality is located in
an ancient marsh-wetland area filled in with deposits
of landfill waste for housing construction purposes. It
is located near the San Juan Bay Estuary, which has
been recognized as the habitat for several species.
Odors coming out of the storm water and sanitary
system indicate that the community may have been
contaminated by petroleum products. Almost 83
percent of housing in the area is subject to flooding.
The unemployment rate in this area is 56 percent.
Brownfields assessment will help the municipality
move forward with reuse plans for new housing and
restoration of ecologically sensitive areas. Brownfields
redevelopment will create jobs, enhance property
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the Municipality of Catano for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant
 funds will be used to inventory sites, conduct at
 least seven Phase I and five Phase II environ-
 mental site assessments, and conduct community
 outreach in the La Puntilla sector of Catano.
 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: Municipality of Catano, PR
 787-788-0404, ext. 2524

 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.
values, and promote a more vibrant and healthy
community.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-07-027
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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