Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Centra/ City, PA
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 Borough of Central City was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located in Somerset
County, Central City (population 1,258) is in the
Appalachian coal region of southwestern Pennsylvania.
During the early 1900s, the coal mining industry
transformed this small rural community into a
boomtown. After the Korean War, the coal mines
closed, jobs were lost, and mounds of coal waste were
left behind. Central City has identified 28 priority
brownfield sites. The mountains of coal waste and
metal-laden soil cause acid-mine drainage that
contaminates once pristine streams and the Dark Shade
Watershed. The sites are close to residential
communities, threaten the health and welfare of area
residents, and deter investors. The loss of jobs and a
dwindling tax base are impacting the borough"s ability
to deal with the sites. Brownfield assessments are
expected to facilitate cleanup of former coal mine sites
and catalyze site redevelopment and reuse.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances

                   EPA has selected the Borough of Central City for a
                   brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                   conduct five to seven Phase I and three to five Phase
                   II environmental site assessments, and prepare five
                   to seven property-specific cleanup plans. Grant
                   funds also will be used to 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 3 Brownfields Team
                   (215)814-3129
                   EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf-lr)

                   Grant Recipient: Borough of Central City,PA
                   (814)754-8290

                   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-10-053
        Apr 10

-------