Brownfields 2011  Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
    ™          Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, NC
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 Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments was
selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants.
Located in northeast North Carolina, the Council of
Governments represents Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash,
Northampton, and Wilson Counties (combined
population 303,327). The area's once thriving economy
was hurt by Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd in 1999,
when flooding caused businesses to close permanently.
Many furniture and textile mills that once served as the
backbone of the economy have since shut their doors.
Tobacco industries also have declined. These events
have resulted in continually increasing economic stress
in this rural region. All areas served by the Council
have unemployment rates and poverty levels higher
than the state and national averages. Brownfield
assessments are expected to help the  Council identify
contaminated sites, lead to the reduction of threats to
human health and the environment, and enable reuse of
existing infrastructure.
                   Assessment Grants

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

                   EPA has selected the Upper Coastal Plain Council of
                   Governments for two brownfields assessment grants.
                   Community-wide hazardous substances and
                   petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct 25
                   Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site
                   assessments. Grant funds also will be used for
                   community outreach activities and cleanup planning.

                   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: Upper Coastal Plain Council of
                   Governments,NC
                   (252) 234-5965

                   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-128-058
         May 11

-------