5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Riverfront Baring Cross Neighborhood Renewal Organization, North Little Rock, AR 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 Riverfront Baring Cross Neighborhood Renewal Organization was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Located along the Arkansas River in North Little Rock (population 58,896), the Lower Baring Cross neighborhood (population 975) was incorporated at the turn of the 20th Century. At that time, the neighborhood consisted of about 400 residents who worked for the railroad industry. Today, it is Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Riverfront Baring Cross Neighborhood Renewal Organization for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Full Counsel site at 2700 River Road in the Lower Baring Cross neighborhood of North Little Rock. The site was used to dispose of demolition materi- als and for public dumping. Grant funds also will be used to conduct public 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 6 Brownfields Team 214-665-6780 http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields Grant Recipient: Riverfront Baring Cross Neighborhood Renewal Organization, AR 501-221-3730 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. located within a federally designated Empowerment Zone and is occupied by predominantly low-income families. The median household income in Lower Baring Cross is significantly lower than the city average. The Full Counsel site is adjacent to the Arkansas River, a new skateboard park, and the 24- mile-long Arkansas River Trail. Cleanup of the site is expected to help protect human health and the environ- Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-08-149 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- ment and prevent further exposure to hazardous substances. Once cleanup is complete, the Riverfront Baring Cross Neighborhood Renewal Organization plans to incorporate the site into Rockwater Village, a planned neighborhood development. ------- |