5 o T> Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet Marion, IA 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 Marion was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants and a brownfields cleanup grant. Nearly 120 years ago, Marion (popula- tion 26,294), a small east-central Iowa community, was home to a bustling railroad industry that brought with it jobs and economic prosperity. The Central Corridor of Marion became a focus for industry. By the late 1990s, the railroad was no more than a spur. Industry moved closer to highway corridors, leaving behind a legacy of contamination that threatens the city's water supply, adversely affects the value of surrounding neighborhoods, and separates the core community from eastward residential growth. Today, 281 potential brownfields are located within the target area, and approximately 70 underground storage tanks are located within one mile of the Corridor. Residents Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Marion for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct community outreach, monitor the health of target area residents, perform Phase I and II environ- mental site assessments, and develop quality assurance plans and cleanup alternatives for sites in the Central Corridor project area. Petroleum funds will be used to perform the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination. Cleanup Grant ,2006 $200,000 for hazardous substances' EPA has selected the City of Marion for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up approximately 20 acres of the former Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad property. The property is contaminated with heavy metals and polynuclear aromatic hydrocar- bons as a result of its operational use as a railroad alignment, switch yard, and roundhouse mainte- nance facility dating back to the 1880s. Portions of the site are adjacent to the city's drinking water wells, threatening Marion's water supply. Brownfields grant funds also will be used to enroll in the Iowa Land Recycling Program, prepare technical cleanup and quality assurance documents, and conduct public dialogue about redevelopment 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. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-06-155 May 2006 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- of the target area constitute approximately 40 percent of the city's population. They tend to be low-income and elderly. The poverty rate in the area is 17.4 percent. nearly four times the city's average rate. The city plans to remove the rail line at the cleanup site, and replace it with a trail and landscaped erosion control buffer to prevent runoff to adjacent streams and rivers, thereby reducing the risks to human and aquatic life in the area. The trail and buffer zone are expected to complement the new City Hall, which is within the target area, and provide a transition zone between the residential and commercial neighborhoods. EPA Region 7 Brownfields Team 800-223-0425 http://www.epa.gov/Region7/citizens/brownfields/ index.htm Grant Recipient: City of Marion, IA 319-377-1581 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. ------- |