5
o
T>
Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Salinas, PR
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 Municipality of Salinas was selected to receive
two brownfields assessment grants. Salinas (population
31,113) is a coastal community located in southern
Puerto Rico. The unemployment rate is 64 percent, and
54.9 percent of the families live below the poverty
level. The target area for these grants is the Aguirre
community, which was developed as a company sugar
town in 1898. Aguirre's urban core is a designated
historic district. The community has a number of
abandoned structures in need of rehabilitation, several
alleged illegal dump sites, and former industrial sites, all
of which serve as barriers to redevelopment. Assess-
ments made through these grants are expected to help
the municipality implement its economic redevelopment
strategy, which includes revitalizing Aguirre's historic
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Municipality of Salinas for
two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to perform
seven Phase I and five Phase II environmental site
assessments, develop an inventory of sites in the
target community of Aguirre, and conduct commu-
nity outreach activities. Petroleum grant funds will
be used to perform the same tasks at sites with
potential petroleum contamination.
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 2 Brownfields Team
212-637-4309
http://www.epa.gov/region2/brownfields
Grant Recipient: Municipality of Salinas, PR
787-824-5310
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.
district, creating jobs for local artisans, and reducing
potential threats to human health and the environment.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-046
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
------- |