Brownfields  2011  Assessment Grant Fact  Sheet
               Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, FL
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 Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council was
selected to receive a brownfields assessment coalition
grant. The Council's coalition partners are Palm Beach
County and the Cities of West Palm Beach and Fort
Pierce. Located on the eastern coast of Florida, the
Council estimates that there are approximately  1,300
brownfields in its four-county region (population
1,821,413). Decades of community and economic
development activities have not resulted in the types or
number of jobs necessary to bring economic stability
and growth to the area.  Setbacks in the agricultural
industry over the last decade have contributed to the
area's economic downturn and resulted in high
unemployment, low median household incomes, and
increased poverty. The primary focus areas for
assessments are the Gifford neighborhood in
unincorporated Indian River County, the
Westgate/Belvedere Community Redevelopment Area,
and the Cities of Pahokee, South Bay, Belle Glade, and
Fort Pierce. Brownfield assessments are expected to
enable informed cleanup decisions and help expedite
redevelopment of priority areas.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $500,000 for hazardous substances
                   $500,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the Treasure Coast Regional
                   Planning Council for a brownfields assessment
                   coalition grant. Hazardous substances and petroleum
                   grant funds will be used to conduct 50 Phase I and
                   17 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
                   funds also will be used to develop cleanup and
                   public health monitoring plans, and conduct
                   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 4 Brownfields Team
                   (404) 562-8792
                   EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site
                   (http: //www. epa.gov/region4/waste/bf)

                   Grant Recipient: Treasure Coast Regional Planning
                   Council,FL
                   (772)221-4060

                   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)
E PA 560-F-128-048
         May 11

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