Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Eustis, 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 City of Eustis was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Eustis (population
18,401)  developed as an early port on Lake Eustis to
accommodate other towns' steamboats until the railroad
arrived in the 1880s.  Eustis also depended on the citrus
industry. Over the past 20 years, with the decline in
agriculture, many commercial and industrial operations
closed, leaving behind abandoned and vacant
properties. A total of 51 potentially contaminated
properties, 23 of which are along Lake Eustis, have
been identified in the city. The city is targeting its
Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) for
assessment. The land in the CRA is 75 percent
residential and 25 percent commercial. It contains
historic properties, a traditional downtown  commercial
area, and a historically minority neighborhood. About
32 percent of the area's residents are minorities. The
poverty  rates are about double the national  average.
Brownfield assessments will help clear up concerns
about contamination, and facilitate reuse of the
downtown area for mixed-use redevelopment.
                   Assessment Grants

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances
                   $200,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the City of Eustis for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will
                   be used to conduct about 40 Phase I and about 15
                   Phase II environmental site assessments, and support
                   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: City of Eustis,FL
                   (352) 483-5430

                   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-09-065
        May 09

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