SB, HI C3 Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet Kitsap County, WA 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 Kitsap County was selected to receive two cleanup grants. The county is targeting two lumber mill sites in the rural Gorst community, which is a predominately rural, low-income port near Bremerton. The now abandoned lumber mills operated from the 1950s to 1970s but closed along with many other mills in the region when the industry declined. The Former Pope Lumber Mill site currently contains an operating fence company and a regional stormwater collection facility that was originally a mill pond. Over 30 percent of the households in the community are classified as poor. Many residents are transient due to the substandard low-rent housing, the variable nature of shipyard employ- ment, and the few local industrial jobs. The cleanup of Cleanup Grants $288,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected Kitsap County for two cleanup grants totaling $288,000. The grant funds will be used to conduct cleanup activities at the Former Pope Lumber Mill and the Former Bremer Lumber Mill sites, which are part of the Gorst Creek Estuary Restoration Project. Investiga- tions have identified chemically contaminated debris and contaminated soil and sediments at both sites. 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 10 Brownfields Team 206-553-2100 http://www.epa.gov/rlOearth click on "Superfund", scroll down, and click on "Brownfields" Grant Recipient: Kitsap County, WA 360-337-7181 Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, Kitsap County also received funding for assessment grants. The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. the sites will reclaim degraded shorelines, expand the storm pond to provide a permanent public utility for improving water quality, reestablish native salmon habitat, and attract new economic investment that supports shipyard activities and creates local jobs. A Brownfields Task Force representing several community organizations will continue to support the project. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA500-F-03-117 June 2003 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |