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
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