5
              o
                            T>

  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

         Florence,  AL


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 Florence was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located along the
Tennessee River, Florence (population 36,721) is
considered the primary economic hub of northwestern
Alabama.  Florence was one of the first textile centers
in this part of the country. Florence's Sweetwater Arts
and Entertainment District (SAED) is part of a 500-
acre area that was once home to iron works, foundry
plants, and textile mills. Many of these former industrial
sites are now closed or abandoned, and are perceived
to be contaminated with hazardous substances and
petroleum products.  Assessment of these sites is
expected to allow Florence to identify and quantify
risks to human health and the environment, and lever-
age investment in the redevelopment of properties
within the SAED.
                                                                ft)
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the City of Florence for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to inventory sites
and conduct about 20 Phase I and 10 Phase II
environmental site assessments within the
Sweetwater Arts and Entertainment District.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to inventory
sites and conduct  about 25 Phase I and 12 Phase II
environmental site assessments within the District.
Grant funds also will be used to support community
outreach 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 4 Brownfields Team
404-562-8792
http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf

Grant Recipient: City of Florence, AL
256-740-8809

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-08-062
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------