Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Central City, PA REC(M(H.GBV 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 February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial sites. Under this law, EPA will provide financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Community Description The Borough of Central City was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in Somerset County in southwestern Pennsylvania, Central City (population 1,258) is part of the Appalachian coal region. During the early 1900s, the coal mining industry transformed this small rural community into a boomtown. When the coal mines ceased operations at the end of the Korean War, jobs disappeared, the population dwindled, and the borough was left with coal-impacted brownfields. There are 19 acid mine drainage discharges in the Dark Shade Watershed. In Somerset County, over 18 percent of children live below the poverty level, and 16.5 percent of household incomes are below $10,000. The unemployment rate is substantially higher than the state rate. Cleanup of the target property will reduce public and environmental health threats, remove blight from the community, and help restore an ecological habitat. The borough plans to redevelop the site to add at least 12 additional housing lots in the Obadiah Lohr Estates residential development. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding) EPA has selected the Borough of Central City for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Broad Avenue property. The currently vacant site was strip mined in the 1950s and 1960s. Earlier in the 20th century, coal was extracted from the site by deep mining. Site soil is contaminated with arsenic and iron. 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 (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team (215)814-3129 EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf-lr) Grant Recipient: Borough of Central City,PA (814)754-8290 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 560-F-09-035 May 09 ------- |