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Brownfields 2007
Grant Fact Sheet
Rhode Island
Department of
Environmental
Management
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 Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management (RIDEM) was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Rhode Island (popula-
tion 1,048,319) has many communities that continue to
struggle with challenges posed by their industrial past.
The state is targeting communities located in the
Blackstone River corridor and Pawtuxet River basin
(target population 363,436) for brownfields assess-
ment. These rivers are the two most heavily industrial-
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (RIDEM) for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to perform two
Phase I and II environmental site assessments.
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 1 Brownfields Team
617-918-1424
http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management
401-222-4700, ext. 7126
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.
ized rivers flowing into one of Rhode Island's most
important natural resources, Narragansett Bay. Several
abandoned, distressed, and underused properties are
located along riverfront areas. Communities in the
target area, especially in the Blackstone River corridor,
have high rates of poverty and unemployment as well
as low per capita incomes. Brownfields assessment
will help the state and local communities gain infor-
mation about real and perceived environmental
contamination at brownfield sites and leverage re-
sources for redevelopment. Brownfields redevelop-
ment is expected to increase economic opportunities,
provide affordable housing, and lessen development
pressures on Rhode Island's open space and working
lands.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-07-138
May 2007
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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