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 Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact Sheet

           Johnstown

      Redevelopment

         Authority,  PA


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 Johnstown Redevelopment Authority was selected
to receive a brownfields assessment grant and a
brownfields revolving loan fund grant. Johnstown
(population 23,906)  is a city that experienced three
disastrous floods and the demise of its steel industry
within a century. A town that once produced two
million tons of steel per year produces none today.
Over 12 miles of vacant or underused steel mills
extend the length of the city, along the banks of its
rivers. At its worst point, the unemployment rate in
Johnstown reached 25 percent. High unemployment
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Johnstown Redevelopment
Authority for a brownfields assessment grant.
Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
identify and collect data through targeted assess-
ments and conduct community outreach activities
throughout the Greater Johnstown community.
Revolving Loan Fund
Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the Johnstown Redevelopment
Authority for a brownfields revolving loan fund
grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a
revolving loan fund from which the Johnstown
Redevelopment Authority will provide loans and
subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites
contaminated with hazardous substances. Grant
funds will be used to support community out-
reach activities and oversee cleanups.
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 3 Brownfields Team
215-814-3129
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm

Grant Recipient: Johnstown Redevelopment
Authority, PA
814-535-6564

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.
                                               Solid Waste and
                                               Emergency Response
                                               (5105T)
                       EPA 560-F-07-086
                       May 2007
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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has resulted in the out-migration of area youths.
Twenty-five percent of city residents are over the age
of 62. According to the state, the incidence of cancer
in the senior male population of Cambria County
(population 152,598), the area served by the Redevel-
opment Authority, is nearly double the state's rate.
Assessment and cleanup of the area's brownfields will
help entrepreneurs and businesses focus their invest-
ments to create and expand facilities which, in turn,
will create jobs and lead to an increase in the tax base.

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