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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Rome, GA
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 City of Rome was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in the foothills
of the Appalachian Mountains in northwest Georgia,
Rome (population 36,142) has grown as a result of
urban sprawl, leaving older sections of the city in
decline. Rome is focusing its brownfields efforts on
South Rome, an older, low-income area in which
almost 65 percent of residents are minorities. The
poverty rate in South Rome is 27 percent, compared to
20 percent for the city as a whole. South Rome
contains sites with perceived environmental contamina-
tion, such as abandoned industrial sites and dilapidated
mill houses. The city has initiated the South Rome
Redevelopment Master Plan, based upon the
community's vision to make the area a safe and
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Rome for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to perform about
six Phase I and about three Phase II environmental
site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be
used to perform about eight Phase I and up to five
Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
funds also will be used to develop a brownfields
inventory and support community outreach activi-
ties.
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 4 Brownfields Team
404-562-8792
http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf
Grant Recipient: City of Rome, GA
706-236-4674
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.
attractive place to live. Assessment of brownfields is
expected to encourage cleanup and redevelopment
opportunities that can reduce blight, expand the tax
base, and create new jobs.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-070
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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