Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Fayette County, WV
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 Fayette County Commission was selected to
receive a brownfields assessment grant. Fayette County
(population 47,788) has a rich history of bituminous
coal mining, hardwood timber harvesting and
processing, and rail transportation. In the mid-1900s,
Fayette County had more than 82,000 residents. The  48
percent decrease in the region"s population is the result
of the decline in area industries. Former residents
migrated to other areas for employment, leaving behind
closed businesses, abandoned properties, and
deteriorating homes. To date, there are an estimated 400
brownfields identified by the county as needing
attention, including methamphetamine laboratories.
Many brownfield sites are located in impoverished
communities such as the targeted Mount Hope  and Oak
Hill areas. About 36 percent of Mount Hope residents
live below the poverty level, and the median household
income is 56 percent lower than the national median.
Brownfield assessments will help ensure that
environmental hazards are identified and appropriate
steps are taken to protect county residents.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances

                   EPA has selected the Fayette County Commission
                   for a brownfields assessment grant.
                   Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds
                   will be used to inventory and prioritize sites and
                   conduct up to 15 Phase I and five Phase II
                   environmental site assessments. Grant funds also
                   will be used for cleanup planning and 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: Fayette County Commission,WV
                   304-574-4338

                   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-10-062
        Apr 10

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