Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant
               Fact Sheet
               Cocoa, FL
                                                        REC(M(H.GBV
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 City of Cocoa was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Nestled on the banks of
the Indian River in Brevard County, Cocoa (population
15,907) was founded in the 1860s by anglers. The
region contained fishing operations, fruit industries,
canneries, and packing houses. Much of the landscape
was converted to citrus groves. The area continued to
grow until the 1980s and 1990s, when residential
development shifted to surrounding communities, and
commerce in Cocoa dropped drastically. As a result, the
city contains many abandoned and underused buildings.
An inventory of sites in the city's brownfields area lists
71 sites, 44  of which are known to be contaminated
with petroleum. Fifty-seven percent of area residents
are minorities, and nearly 39 percent of residents live in
poverty. Brownfield assessments will identify sites for
further investigation and cleanup, and facilitate reuse
and economic development.
                   Assessment Grants
                   $200,000 for hazardous substances
                   (Recovery Act Funding)
                   $200,000 for petroleum (Recovery Act
                   Funding)

                   EPA has selected the City of Cocoa for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                   conduct 14 Phase I and 4 Phase II environmental site
                   assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support
                   public health monitoring, cleanup planning, and
                   community outreach activities. Petroleum grant
                   funds will be used to perform the same tasks at sites
                   with potential petroleum contamination.

                   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 Cocoa,FL
                   (321) 637-7217

                   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)
EPA560-F-09-105
        May 09

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