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  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

             Nitro,  WV


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 City of Nitro was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located 14 miles west
of Charleston on the Kanawha River, Nitro (popula-
tion 6,782) was founded in 1917 for the specific
purpose of manufacturing nitro-cellulose gunpowder
during World War I. Following the war, the Nitro area
became one of the nation's largest chemical manufac-
turing centers. Since then, the explosives and chemical
industries have downsized or closed, leaving many
underused and empty industrial facilities, and severely
reducing quality employment opportunities. Today,
nearly 28 percent of Nitro residents live in poverty,
and the unemployment rate is 50 percent higher than
the national rate. The long-term presence of the
explosives and chemical industries has resulted in a
perception that many properties are contaminated with
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the City of Nitro for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
 substances grant funds will be used to conduct
 community outreach and inventory brownfields
 sites. Funds also will be used to conduct up to
 eight Phase I and up to three Phase II environ-
 mental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds
 will be used to perform the same tasks at sites
 with potential petroleum contamination.
 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: City of Nitro, WV
 304-755-5066

 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.
hazardous chemicals. Assessment of these brownfields
will serve to catalyze the city's redevelopment efforts
and help to leverage funding from additional sources.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-07-124
                         May 2007
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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