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 ------- • 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) ------- |