Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Sidney, OH 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 Sidney was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Sidney (population 20,139) was founded in 1820 along the banks of the Miami River in western Ohio. Its location and accessibility led to the development of a significant manufacturing base. Residential neighborhoods were built around the factories near transportation routes. With the decline in manufacturing, these neighborhoods are now adjacent to abandoned, deteriorated industrial buildings that pose potential threats to human health and impede future development. The target property is one of these abandoned and deteriorating sites. The site is also near Starrett Creek, a tributary of the Miami River, and poses a threat to groundwater and surface water. Assessment of the site will help the city identify threats to human health and the environment, prioritize responses and controls to protect residents and the river, and provide the site characterization data needed to attract developers. Assessment Grant $185,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Sidney for a brownfields assessment grant. Site-specific hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments at the six-acre former Wagner Manufacturing site at 440 Fair Road. For more than a century, the property housed a variety of manufacturing processes, including iron and aluminum foundries. It has been vacant since 2008. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning and 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 5 Brownfields Team (312)886-7576 EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields) Grant Recipient: City of Sidney, Ohio (937)498-8141 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) EPA560-F-10-126 Apr 10 ------- |