Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet G/e/7S Falls, 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. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfields sites. 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 Glens Falls was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Glens Falls (population 14,354) is located along the Hudson River at the southern tip of Adirondack Park in upstate New York. It was once the economic engine for much of northern New York. The city is targeting the South Street Corridor in the downtown business district and the surrounding working class neighborhood. The district was home to various industrial properties, including textile factories and mills, metal shops, and cement plants. This once heavily industrialized area now contains vacant and deteriorated factories and warehouses. About 25 to 35 known or potential brownfield sites are located in the target area. The city estimates that the corridor's commercial vacancy rate is near 30 percent. The closing, downsizing, and abandonment of several mills and plants have resulted in lost jobs and declining incomes. The average income of corridor residents is about 56 percent of the city average. Brownfield assessments are expected to facilitate redevelopment and the upgrade of the city's infrastructure. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Glens Falls for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to evaluate an inventory of over 1,000 potential brownfield sites, and conduct at least 12 Phase I and 5 Phase II environmental site assessments in the South Street Corridor. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup planning and 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 2 Brownfields Team (212) 637-4358 EPA Region 2 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region2/brownfields) Grant Recipient: City of Glens Falls,NY (518)761-3833 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-09-236 May 09 ------- |