5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Sftetoy County TA/ 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 Shelby County was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located in southwestern Tennessee, Shelby County (population 897,472) is targeting the abandoned CSX Railroad Corridor (population 119,828) for brownfields assessment. Residential development is dense along the edges of portions of the corridor, which has become a dumping ground for household and industrial debris. Over 80 years of railroad operations have added to the contamination of the corridor. The county's poverty rate is the highest among the most populous counties in the state and exceeds 18 percent. Shelby County plans to redevelop the corridor as a rails-to-trails greenspace and landscaped park for county residents to use for walking, bicycling, and other recreational purposes. Assessment of the target site is expected to expedite cleanup and creation of the park. Assessment Grant $347,080 for hazardous substances EPA has selected Shelby County for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct a Phase II environ- mental site assessment along the 13.3-mile-long, 100-foot-wide, abandoned CSX Railroad Corridor that runs from Lenow Road in Cordova to Avery Road in Memphis. 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: Shelby County, TN 901-545-4576 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-08-091 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |