5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Pinellas County, FL 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 Pinellas County was selected to receive three brownfields cleanup grants. Pinellas County (population 942,000) is a280-square-mile peninsula on Florida's west coast. It is the second smallest yet most densely populated county in the state. The county's Community Development Department began to revitalize the Dansville neighborhood, location of the cleanup sites, following a tornado in 1992. The sites were unregu- lated landfills used for dumping solid waste in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of the property owners in the immedi- ate area around the sites are African-American. Twenty-seven percent of the neighborhood's children under the age of 18 live in poverty. Cleanup of these sites is expected to move the county closer to its goal Cleanup Grants $600,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected Pinellas County for three brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Dansville Neighborhood Central, North, and South Historic Landfill sites. Contaminants of concern at the sites include arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the pesticide dieldrin. Grant funds will be used to dispose of contaminated materials and conduct 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: Pinellas County, FL 727-464-7319 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. of completing the revitalization of the Dansville neigh- borhood. When the sites are cleaned up, the county plans to construct 62 single-family affordable homes on these properties. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-08-064 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |