A \ Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant &Z] Fact Sheet Utah Department of Environmental Quality RECOUERY.GOV 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. On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial sites. Under this law, EPA will provide financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Community Description The Utah Department of Environmental Quality was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Abandoned or underused properties that are potentially contaminated with petroleum, including gas stations, above-ground storage tank properties, and bulk plants, are common sights in nearly every community in the state (population 2,500,000). These sites are often located in or near low-income neighborhoods and mixed commercial and industrial use areas. Many are dilapidated and tend to have a significant blighting influence on these rural communities. It is estimated that there are more than 200 such properties in small rural towns and the larger areas along the Wasatch Front. Sensitive populations such as minorities and children throughout the rural areas are disproportionately impacted by environmental concerns at these sites. Brownfield assessments will facilitate the identification of real or perceived threats to human health and the environment, and are expected to help expedite redevelopment activities. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act Funding) EPA has selected the Utah Department of Environmental Quality for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to identify and prioritize sites, and complete nine environmental site assessments throughout the state. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup planning and public outreach programs. 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 8 Brownfields Team (303)312-7074 EPA Region 8 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region8/brownfields) Grant Recipient: Utah Department of Environmental Quality (801)536-4181 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-09-032 May 09 ------- |