5
              o
                           T>

  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact Sheet

 Robeson County,  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 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

Robeson County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in southern
North Carolina, Robeson County (population 127,586)
is a diverse community with a significant minority
population. It is the center of the Lumbee Tribe.
Native Americans and African-Americans comprise
nearly 40 and 25 percent of its residents, respectively.
During the 1900s, textile mills flourished, and by the
1950s, accounted for 47 percent of total employment
in the region. By 2000, textile employment had
declined by more than 60 percent. The median house-
hold income in the county is below the state and
national averages, and 32.9 percent of residents live
below the poverty level. The county's declining
industries have left behind a large number of vacant
and underused facilities, including textile mills and
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected Robeson County for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
 substances grant funds will be used to perform
 Phase I and Phase II environmental site assess-
 ments, conduct health monitoring, and support
 community outreach activities. 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 4 Brownfields Team
 404-562-8792
 http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

 Grant Recipient: Robeson County, NC
 910-671-3022

 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.
chemical plants. Many of these brownfields are located
in areas with large minority populations and low
economic activity. Brownfields assessments will
improve their potential for redevelopment into produc-
tive industrial, commercial, and recreational facilities.
Brownfields redevelopment will increase private
investment, expand the tax base, and attract new
employers.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-07-143
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------