Brownfields 2003 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               U/sfer County, NY
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield 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 the Brownfields
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

Ulster County was selected to receive an assessment
grant. The targeted site is in an area of the City of
Newburgh that needs revitalization. Newburgh, which
has a population of 28,259, is in a state Empire Zone
and is a federally designated Enterprise Community.
Erosion of traditional manufacturing industries in the
Mid-Hudson Valley, which includes Ulster County, has
resulted in major job losses. Newburgh has been
particularly hard hit. Poverty rates in Newburgh exceed
26 percent, and unemployment is nearly 12 percent.
Assessment and reuse of an abandoned gas station will
allow an existing business to expand rather than move
from the city. Revitalizing the site also will enhance the
construction of low-income housing nearby. Both
objectives are consistent with regional priorities to
create jobs accessible to low-income families. The
county will  continue to engage community stakeholders
in reuse decisions.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $75,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected Ulster County for a brownfields
                   assessment grant. The county plans to assess an old,
                   vacant gas station, one of many small inner-city
                   brownfields sites that are not economically feasible
                   to redevelop without direct municipal support. Grant
                   funds also will be used for community involvement.

                   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
                   (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                   EPA Region 2 Brownfields Team
                   (212) 637-4309
                   EPA Region 2 Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/region02/brownfields/)

                   Grant Recipient: County of Ulster, New York
                   (845) 340-3642

                   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 negotiated.
                   Therefore, activities described  in this fact sheet are
                   subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 500-F-03-204
        Jun 03

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