^    Brownfields  2010 Assessment  Grant Fact  Sheet
               West Central Texas Council of Governments

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 West Central Texas Council of Governments was
selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The
Council represents 19 counties (combined population
324,901) in West Texas, which have depended on the
land to sustain the economy. Residents profited from
cattle ranching and cotton farming, which then yielded
to coal mining, copper mining, and petroleum
exploration. Poor hazardous substances handling and
disposal practices have created many brownfields
throughout the region, including abandoned businesses,
mine-scarred lands, and abandoned methamphetamine
labs. The per capita income in all  19 counties is below
the state average, and 17 counties have a poverty rate
that is greater than the state average. In nine counties,
more than 20 percent of residents are Hispanic or
Latino. Three of the counties now have foreclosure
rates that are among the highest in the state.
Assessment of brownfields will clarify the nature and
extent of contamination and is expected to leverage
cleanup  resources.
                   Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous
                   substances
                   EPA has selected the West Central Texas Council of
                   Governments for a brownfields assessment grant.
                   Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds
                   will be used to create a brownfields inventory, and
                   perform from 22 to 24 Phase I and up to four Phase
                   II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also
                   will be used to develop five to 10 cleanup plans and
                   conduct 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: West Central Texas Council of
                   Governments
                   325-672-8544

                   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-10-144
        Apr 10

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