5 o T> Brownfields 2007 Grant Fact Sheet Ark-Tex Council of Governments, Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas 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 the Brownfields 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. Addi- tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The Ark-Tex Council of Governments (ATCOG) was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The ATCOG serves nine counties in northeast Texas and one in southwest Arkansas (total population 311,562). The cities in the region developed around the railroads that supported the timber and agriculture industries. With the decline in these industries, the region was left with abandoned and contaminated parcels. There are more than 130 legal and illegal closed landfills in the area, in addition to many Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Ark-Tex Council of Govern- ments for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to inventory and characterize sites, conduct 15 to 20 Phase I and as many Phase II environmental site assess- ments as possible, and 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 6 Brownfields Team 214-665-6780 http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields Grant Recipient: Ark-Tex Council of Governments, TX 903-832-8636 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. abandoned manufacturing and industrial facilities and gas stations. There are 556 reports of leaking under- ground storage tanks in the region. The ten counties have an average unemployment rate of 18.3 percent and a per capita income that is only 72 percent of the national level. Assessment of the region's brownfields will help make it possible for ATCOG to clean up the properties, and provide a catalyst for redevelopment in the downtown Texarkana areas. Redevelopment of brownfields will spur economic development, create jobs, and protect the health and environment of the region's communities. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-07-008 May 2007 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |