Brownfields 2001  Assessment  Pilot  Fact Sheet
               Newport, KY
EPA Brownfields Initiative

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
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into
law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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.

Background

EPA has selected the City of Newport for a Brownfields
Assessment Pilot. Newport (population 18,800) was
founded in 1791 in northern Kentucky at the confluence
of the Ohio and Licking Rivers across from Cincinnati,
Ohio. The riverfront limits the possibilities for expansion
and development. During the last 30 years, the city has
been in economic decline and its population has fallen
due to industries moving to other areas where land is
more readily available. Nearly 26 percent of the city's
residents live below the poverty line and 5.3 percent are
unemployed.

The city has identified six brownfields that have
redevelopment potential but pose potential environmental
concerns. The targeted sites include underutilized
industrial facilities and abandoned  commercial
properties. The city believes that these sites may threaten
public health or the environment depending on the
presence of contaminated groundwater and soil.
                   Pilot Snapshot

                   Date of Announcement: 04/01/2001
                   Amount: $200,000
                   Profile: This Pilot targets six sites in the city for
                   assessment and redevelopment into public gardens,
                   housing, and retail establishments.

                   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 4 Brownfields Team
                   (404) 562-8792
                   EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf)

                   Grant Recipient: Newport, KY
                   (859) 292-3666
                 Objectives

                 The city plans to remove the environmental barriers
                 inhibiting redevelopment of the six target sites so they
                 can be returned to safe and productive use. The Pilot
                 will conduct Phase I environmental site assessments at
                 all six sites, prioritize the sites, and complete a Phase II
                 environmental  site assessment, if necessary, at the
                 highest priority site before proceeding to other sites on
                 the list. The Pilot will leverage a HUD HOPE VI Public
                 Housing Revitalization grant awarded to the city. The
                 six brownfields sites are among the sites that will be
                 developed in the first two years of the HOPE VI
                 program. Redevelopment is expected to lead to the
                 creation of additional housing units and retail space.

                 Activities

                 Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

                      • Organizing technical and citizens advisory
                       committees to participate in a brownfields task
                       force:
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA500-F-01-269
        Apr 01

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                                                          • Performing Phase I and, if needed, Phase II
                                                           environmental site assessments at the six target
                                                           brownfields; and
                                                          • Working with the Kentucky Department of
                                                           Environmental Protection on cleanup plans.

                                                     The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet
                                                     been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this
                                                     fact sheet are subject to change.

                                                     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                        Q ., . ,A/__t,.
E-ironmental                       andEmXency                                           EPA 50°-F-°1 ^
Protection Agency                    ResDonse(51oVn                                                  Apr01
Washington, DC 20450                 Kesponse (bl Ob I)

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