HI
                            C3
 Brownfields  2003

 Grant Fact Sheet

       Des Moines,  IA


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 City of Des Moines, a federal Enterprise Commu-
nity, was selected to receive cleanup and revolving loan
fund grants.  The  city has targeted sites  in the Guthrie
Avenue Business Park and Riverpoint West areas for
cleanup. Residents near the Guthrie Avenue Business
Park are 74 percent minorities and have an average
per capita income of only $11,622. The 300-acre
Riverpoint West area is part of a state-designated
Gateway Enterprise Zone.  Residents near Riverpoint
West suffer from high unemployment and a 30 percent
poverty rate.  Clean sites in these areas  will attract
new investments, create jobs, and enhance the environ-
ment in underused brownfields areas.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Des Moines for a
brownfields cleanup grant. The cleanup grant will
be used to clean up a fenced-off site within the
Guthrie Avenue Business Park. The site (portions
of Blocks  13 and 14 plus the vacated East 19th
Street right-of-way) is adjacent to existing resi-
dences. The primary environmental concerns at
the site are arsenic, chromium, and lead co-
mingled with petroleum hydrocarbons.
Revolving Loan Fund
Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the City of Des Moines for a
brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant
will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from
which Des Moines will provide loans and subgrants
to conduct cleanup activities. The funds will be
used initially to assist in cleanup activities essential
to redevelopment of the Riverpoint West area,
which is characterized by light and heavy industrial
use, lumber processing, and scrap metal recycling.
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 Des Moines, IA
515-283-4944

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City of
Des Moines has received brownfields funding for assessment,
revolving loan fund, and Showcase Community grants.

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet
are subject to change.
                                                   Solid Waste and
                                                   Emergency Response
                                                   (5105T)
                       EPA 500-F-03-082
                       June 2003
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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