• Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Irving, TX 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 Irving (population 191,611) was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Irving contains multiple rail lines that attracted diverse businesses such as truck and auto maintenance facilities and lumber yards during the last century. Beginning in the 1980s, as reliance on railroad transportation waned and a new highway was constructed outside the city's core, many downtown businesses closed and are now abandoned and potentially contaminated. The recent relocation of the Dallas Cowboys football team to a new stadium in another city caused additional financial stress. Irving has lost jobs and an estimated three million dollars in related revenue per year. Private developers have proposed redevelopment of the Texas Stadium, Downtown Irving, and Irving Boulevard Corridor areas to create modern, walkable shopping and mixed-use communities. Assessment of brownfields in these areas will be an important step toward reaching this goal. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Irving for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct an estimated 10 Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments within three target areas of the city. Grant funds also will be used for 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 6 Brownfields Team (214) 665-6780 EPA Region 6 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields) Grant Recipient: City of Irving,TX 972-721-4931 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-10-198 Apr 10 ------- |