• Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Terre Haute, IN 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 Terre Haute was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located in west-central Indiana, Terre Haute (population 60,007) has historically had a concentration of industrial activity in older, low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. This industrial activity has created 21 hazardous substances and 15 petroleum brownfields in the community. Manufacturing employment, once the engine for economic activity, is 10 percent lower than it was in 1995. Continued high energy costs threaten the economic health of the local plastics industry. The city"s median household income is lower than the state median, its poverty rate is 19.2 percent, and the unemployment rate is higher than the state and national averages. A significant reduction in mandated property tax rates in 2009 has limited the city"s ability to assess and clean up brownfields. Assessment of brownfields is expected to facilitate cleanup of contaminated sites, enable the city to reduce property redevelopment barriers, and promote reinvestment in the city. Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Terre Haute for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to update a brownfields inventory and perform seven to 10 Phase I and five to 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct two or three cleanup plans, health monitoring, and community outreach activities. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination. 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 5 Brownfields Team (312)886-7576 EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields) Grant Recipient: City of Terre Haute,IN (812)232-4082 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-10-096 Apr 10 ------- |