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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

           Johnstown

       Redevelopment

         Authority, 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 Johnstown Redevelopment Authority was selected
to receive  a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in
Cambria County, the City of Johnstown (population
23,906) was once a one-industry town, with the
Bethlehem Steel Corporation controlling more than
1,000 acres in the city. Today, more than 12 miles of
vacant or underused steel mills extend the length of the
city along  the banks of its rivers. A town that once
produced two million tons of steel per year produces
none today. When the mills closed in 1992, more than
12,000 jobs were lost. At its highest, the unemployment
rate in Johnstown reached 25 percent. The city's
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the Johnstown Redevelopment
 Authority for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazard-
 ous substances grant funds will be used to clean up
 the Rosedale KOZ/Ore Yard site in Johnstown.
 The site was once used to store raw materials for
 the Bethlehem Steel Complex. Site soil is contami-
 nated with heavy metals, including zinc, arsenic,
 and cadmium. Grant funds also will be used to
 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 3 Brownfields Team
 215-814-3129
 http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs
 Grant Recipient: Johnstown Redevelopment
 Authority, PA
 814-535-6564
 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.
current unemployment rate still is well above the
national rate. More than 24 percent of the population
lives below the poverty level. Sixty-one brownfields
have been identified in the city. The Rosedale KOZ/
Ore Yard site currently is vacant and contaminated
with hazardous substances. Cleanup of the site is
expected to reduce the environmental health hazards
associated with the historical use of the property, and
provide Johnstown with 60 acres of developable land in
a city where space is limited.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-053
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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