Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Spar/cs, NV
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 Sparks was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in western
Nevada near Reno, Sparks (population 84,239) evolved
from an early Southern Pacific Railroad town into a
mid-sized city. As Sparks developed, businesses spread
outside the urban core, leaving the older neighborhoods
in economic decline. Along with historic railroad
operations in these older areas are vacant petroleum
handlers, warehouses, and auto shops. The city has
identified 359 deteriorating properties or dilapidated
structures in need of redevelopment. The highest
numbers of potentially contaminated sites and the
highest rates of minority and low-income residents in
the city are in the older areas  slated for redevelopment.
Per capita income in Sparks is lower than the state or
national averages. Assessment of brownfields is
expected to clarify environmental concerns, and
catalyze cleanup and redevelopment.
                   Assessment Grants

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

                   EPA has selected the City of Sparks for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                   inventory and prioritize brownfields, conduct up to
                   20 Phase I and up to 5 Phase II environmental site
                   assessments, conduct cleanup planning, and support
                   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 9 Brownfields Team
                   (415) 972-3091
                   EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/region9/brownfields)

                   Grant Recipient: City of Sparks,NV
                   (775) 353-2368

                   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-09-177
        May 09

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