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  Brownfields 2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

      Ronceverte,  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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Ronceverte was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located along the
Greenbrier River in southeastern West Virginia,
Ronceverte (population  1,557) is a rural town that was
once the center of commerce for southeastern and
east-central West Virginia. Many industries were once
located there, including the world's largest softwood
lumber mills. Today, all but one of these mills have
closed, and most, if not all, of the city's industrial,
electronics, and chemical plants have closed. The city's
median household income is more than 55 percent
below the national average, and 31 percent of residents
live below the poverty level. The city is challenged by
actual and perceived contamination left behind by its
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Ronceverte for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to conduct a
 brownfields inventory and up to 10 Phase I and
 four Phase II environmental site assessments.
 Grant funds also will be used to support community
 involvement 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.

 EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team
 215-814-3129
 http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs

 Grant Recipient: City of Ronceverte, WV
 304-647-5455

 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.
former industries. Brownfields assessment is expected
to help Ronceverte determine the extent of environ-
mental contamination at selected sites and catalyze
investment in brownfields redevelopment.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-061
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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