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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Fairmont, WV
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield 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. On January 11, 2002, President George
W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the
Brownfields 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Fairmont was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Fairmont (population
19,097) is located at the confluence of the West Fork
and Tygart Valley Rivers in northwestern West Vir-
ginia. These rivers meet to form the Monongahela
River. The rivers helped power the industrial boom that
began in the mid-1800s and revolved around coal, gas,
and oil production. Since the 1960s, the city has
suffered the same steady decline that is typical of
many old industrial areas in the United States. Today,
Fairmont's industrial heritage includes factory sites that
operate with skeleton crews in underutilized space, and
hulking, empty factories that are deteriorating from
neglect. These sites account for over 40 acres of prime
Assessment Grants ;
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Fairmont for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to conduct
community outreach activities, inventory and rank
sites, perform from four to five Phase I and from
one to three Phase II environmental site assess-
ments, and develop remedial alternatives and cost
estimates for one or two parcels. Petroleum funds
will be used to conduct community outreach
activities, inventory and rank sites, perform from
six to eight Phase I and from four to eight Phase
II environmental site assessments, and develop
remedial alternatives and cost estimates for four
to six sites that may be contaminated with petro-
leum. Assessments will be conducted on sites
within the Fairmont city limits.
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 at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team
215-814-3129
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm
Grant Recipient: City of Fairmont, WV
304-366-6211
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
urban property. Since the 1980s, the city has lost nearly
20 percent of its population. With the loss of jobs and
residents, the retail industry has deteriorated, and the
housing market has stagnated. Assessment of proper-
ties in these areas will allow Fairmont to address
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-080
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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potential environmental issues and eliminate the
perceived obstacles to redevelopment. The city
anticipates that returning these brownfields sites to
productive reuse will provide jobs during and after
redevelopment, promote investment in surrounding
residential areas, and generally improve the image and
identity of Fairmont.
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