Brownfields 2011  Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, FL
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 Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment coalition grant. The MPO's
coalition partners are the Cities of Palmetto, Bradenton,
Sarasota, Venice, and North Port, and Manatee and
Sarasota Counties. Located in western Florida, the
MPO will focus assessment efforts along the Tamiami
Trail Scenic Highway in Sarasota and Manatee
Counties (population 688,126). The highway was
constructed in 1919 to connect the state's east and west
coasts. The construction of interstate highways and
rapid development in other parts of the state led to
disinvestment in the Tamiami Trail corridor. The
corridor is now littered with abandoned gas stations, dry
cleaners, auto repair businesses, and other former
businesses. The unemployment rates in Sarasota and
Manatee Counties are higher than the state and national
averages, and the median household incomes are lower
than the national level. Brownfield assessments are
expected to promote the cleanup of properties,  leverage
funds for public and private development along the
corridor, and rejuvenate the tourism industry.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $300,000 for hazardous substances
                   $700,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan
                   Planning Organization for a brownfields assessment
                   coalition grant. Hazardous substances and petroleum
                   grant funds will be used to conduct 46 Phase I and
                   20 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
                   funds also will be used to develop a site inventory,
                   monitor institutional controls, and support
                   community involvement 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 4 Brownfields Team
                   (404) 562-8792
                   EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site
                   (http: //www. epa.gov/region4/waste/bf)

                   Grant Recipient: Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan
                   Planning Organization,FL
                   941-359-5772

                   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)
E PA 560-F-128-047
         May 11

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