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 Brownfields  2003

 Grant  Fact Sheet

     Rhode Island Economic

   Development Corporation,

Providence and Pawtucket, Rl


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. 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 con-
taminant.  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. Additionally,
funding support is provided to state and tribal response
programs through a  separate mechanism.

Community Description

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation,
in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management, was selected to receive a
revolving loan fund grant. Coalition partners are the
Rhode Island Industrial Facilities Corporation and the
Cities of Providence and Pawtucket. Providence
(population 174,000) is a federally designated Enterprise
Community and a state-designated Enterprise Zone. It
is the second largest city in New England and the fastest
growing city in the Northeast. The median family
income in Providence is two-thirds of the state median,
and 24 percent of residents live in poverty.  The
brownfields target areas include neighborhoods where
unemployment is around 20 percent and where more
than 70 percent of residents are minorities.  The revital-
ization projects planned by Providence include afford-
able mixed-income housing developments, a children's
                                                                  "1
                                     Revolving Loan Fund/New-
                                     Grant
                                     $2,000,000 for hazardous substances
                                     $1,000,000 for petroleum

                                     EPA has selected the Rhode Island Economic
                                     Development Corporation for a revolving loan
                                     fund grant. Coalition partners are the Rhode
                                     Island Industrial Facilities Corporation and the
                                     Cities of Providence and Pawtucket.  The grant
                                     will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund
                                     from which the Economic Development Corpora-
                                     tion will provide loans and subgrants to conduct
                                     cleanup activities. Potential sites being considered
                                     for cleanup and redevelopment include former mill
                                     sites, former steel sites, dry-cleaning facilities, and
                                     dump sites in Providence and Pawtucket. These
                                     sites are known to have been contaminated by
                                     such substances as metals, polycyclic aromatic
                                     hydrocarbons (PAHs), and petroleum.
                                     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 1 Brownfields Team
                                     617-918-1210
                                     http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/

                                     Grant Recipient: Rhode Island Economic Devel-
                                     opment Corporation 401-222-2601 x!04

                                     Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the
                                     Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation has
                                     received brownfields funding for assessment and revolving
                                     loan fund grants.

                                     The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been
                                     negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet
                                     are subject to change.
                                  services center, and commercial facilities. Pawtucket
                                  (population 74,000) is one of the most densely populated
                                  cities in the state. Nearly 31 percent of Pawtucket
                                  residents are minorities. Revitalization projects planned
                                  by Pawtucket would bring much needed recreational,
                                  social, and educational resources to the community.
                                                   Solid Waste and
                                                   Emergency Response
                                                   (5105T)
                                                           EPA500-F-03-169
                                                           June 2003
                                                           www.epa.gov/brownfields

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