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Brownfields 2003
Grant Fact Sheet
Atchison, KS
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 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. Addition-
ally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Atchison was selected to receive an
assessment grant. Atchison (population 10,200) is a
small, rural community located on the banks of the
Missouri River in northeastern Kansas. The historic
city was the second to be incorporated in Kansas, and
once was home to some of the West's most famous
companies, including the Pony Express and Overland
Stage and Mail Company. By the early 1900s, the
population boomed to 20,000. Due to a declining
economy and a loss of businesses and jobs to other
Western states, the city's population has declined by
nearly half. The county's median household income is
about 20 percent less than the national average. The
city hopes that redevelopment of the Commercial
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Atchison for a
brownfields assessment grant. The city intends
to use grant funds for Phase I and Phase II
environmental site assessments at several
potentially contaminated sites along the Commer-
cial Street Corridor and the riverfront, including
an abandoned commercial property, a former dry
cleaning facility, and a riverfront salvage yard.
Grant funds also will be used for community
involvement and redevelopment 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 at:
www.epa.gov/brownfields.
EPA Region 7 Brownfields Team
913-551-7786
http://www.epa.gov/region07/brownfields/
Grant Recipient: City of Atchison, KS
913-367-5500
Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City
of Atchison has not received funding for brownfields grants.
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet
are subject to change.
Street Corridor sites into commercial outlets and a
riverfront park will revitalize the downtown area,
attracting new businesses and increasing tourism in
time for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemo-
ration on July 4,2004.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 500-F-03-047
June 2003
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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