5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Clearfield County Economic Development Corporation, PA 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 Clearfield County Economic Development Corpo- ration was selected to receive two brownfields assess- ment grants. Located in central Pennsylvania, Clearfield County (population 83,783) is a rural county populated primarily by small towns. The availability of coal, lumber, and railroads, as well as easy access to major traffic routes, led to the location of a variety of industries in the county. Today, over 120 small manu- facturers have remained. Though the county has retained these industries and even diversified over the last few decades to attract new employers, its unem- Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Clearfield County Economic Development Corporation for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to perform a site inventory, conduct five Phase I and three Phase II environ- mental site assessments, and support community involvement 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 3 Brownfields Team 215-814-3129 http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs Grant Recipient: Clearfield County Economic Development Corporation, PA 814-768-7838, ext. 501 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. ployment rate of 6.9 percent is higher than state and national averages. More than 12 percent of the population lives in poverty. Brownfields have a legacy of perceived or potential contamination that hinders their marketability. Many are close to schools, hospi- tals, and residential areas, presenting a potential public health threat. Assessments conducted through these grants are expected to encourage redevelopment. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-08-052 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |