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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

       Springfield,  MO


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 Springfield was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in southwestern
Missouri, Springfield (population 151,580) is targeting a
site in the Jordan Valley Park area (population 14,299).
This area has traditionally depended on industrial,
manufacturing, and commercial businesses. It includes
the city's downtown and West Central, one of the city's
oldest and most economically depressed neighbor-
hoods. Poverty and unemployment rates in the area are
29.2 percent and 10 percent, respectively. The neigh-
borhood is home to a significantly higher minority
population than the rest of the city. About 500 proper-
ties requiring environmental assessment are located in
the target area. These properties decrease surrounding
property values and deter investment.  Cleanup of the
target site  is expected to reduce environmental risks
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Springfield for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up the West
 Meadows of Jordan Valley Park site at 725 West
 Olive Street. The currently vacant site was used as
 a rail yard. Site soil and shallow groundwater are
 contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocar-
 bons, metals, and volatile organic compounds.
 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 7 Brownfields Team
 800-223-0425
 http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/brownfields

 Grant Recipient: City of Springfield, MO
 417-864-1092

 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.
and spur redevelopment activities. The city plans to
redevelop the site as open space and as the focal
point of an alternative storm water management
system.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-08-172
                         April 2008
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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