5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant and a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in southeast Tennessee, Chattanooga (population 155,554) is a federally desig- nated Renewal Community with a rich industrial past. Textile mills, foundries, tanneries, and brick kilns once thrived in the city's urban core. However, vacant properties were used as open disposal sites by area industries. As environmental conditions declined, many residents moved to the suburbs. Today, there are an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 brownfields in the city. The city is targeting the 19-square-mile central city area for assessment. Sixty-seven percent of area residents are minorities and 34 percent live below the poverty level. The unemployment rate is 15.4 percent. Abandoned, underused, and potentially contaminated manufacturing t Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Chattanooga for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub- stances grant funds will be used to perform about 10 Phase I and one to three Phase II environmen- tal site assessments, conduct human health moni- toring, and support community outreach activities in the city's urban core. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Chattanooga for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the 8.2-acre Ohls Avenue Brownfields site. The site was home to small foundries, tire repair facilities, and a disposal site for the former Chattanooga Glass Company. Contaminants of concern include poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals. Grant funds will be used to remove and isolate the hazardous substances and conduct 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 4 Brownfields Team 404-562-8792 http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf Grant Recipient: City of Chattanooga, TN 423-757-5216 (Assessment) 423-266-5781 (Cleanup) sites are often close to residential areas. Assessment of brownfields is expected to enable the city to focus on cleanup planning and community health strategies. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-08-090 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- The Ohls Avenue site is in the Alton Park Redevelop- ment Area, a neighborhood where 97 percent of residents are African-American and 54 percent live below the poverty level. Cleanup of the site is expected to help implement the community's master plan and leverage investment for redevelopment. The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agree- ment for the grant has not yet been negotiated. There- fore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. ------- |