Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Lands
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 Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public
Lands was selected to receive three brownfields
assessment grants. The Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands (population 69,221) consists of 14
islands with a total land area of 183.5 square miles. The
largest island, Saipan, is about 100 miles northeast of
Guam and 3,300 miles west of Honolulu. The islands
of Saipan and Tinian became major battlegrounds
during World War II and later strategic locations for
U.S. military operations against Japan. A garment
industry developed between 1980 and 2000, resulting in
tremendous growth in the Commonwealth. However, as
a result of the recent economic downturn, businesses
are closing on the islands, and the number of
brownfields is growing. The Commonwealth's median
household and per capita incomes are below the median
for the United States. The islands contain at least 68
brownfields, including large garment factories and
brownfields associated with World War II waste,
primarily unexploded ordnance and fuel storage
facilities. Community-wide assessment of brownfields
is expected to encourage investment in the
redevelopment of brownfields. Assessment of a former
military site will help the Commonwealth identify a
location for a new landfill for the island of Tinian.
Assessment Grants
$550,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Northern Mariana Islands
Department of Public Lands for three brownfields
assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to perform eight
Phase I and three Phase II environmental site
assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to
perform 12 Phase I and 4 Phase II environmental site
assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
conduct health monitoring of sensitive populations
and support community involvement activities.
Site-specific hazardous substances grant funds will
be used to perform Phase I and II environmental site
assessments at the proposed Tinian Landfill site at
Pina on the island of Tinian. The site was formerly
used by the U.S. military to stage ordnance for
aircraft. Site-specific grant funds also will be used to
conduct health monitoring, prepare cleanup plans,
and support community involvement 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 9 Brownfields Team
(415) 972-3091
EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/region9/brownfields)
Grant Recipient: Northern Mariana Islands
Department of Public Lands
(670)234-3751
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-09-186
May 09
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United States Q ., . ,A/__t,.
Environmental andldEmSency EPA 56°-F-°f1 ™
Protection Agency Resoonse fSIOSn May 09
Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse
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