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Brownfields 2003
Grant Fact Sheet
Philadelphia, PA
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 Philadelphia was selected to receive an
assessment grant. Philadelphia is located in southeast
Pennsylvania at the confluence of the Delaware and
Schuylkill Rivers. With a population of over 1.5 million,
the city is the nation's fifth largest. Philadelphia
contains hundreds of abandoned or underused com-
mercial and industrial sites with real or perceived
environmental contamination. Due to the historic
development of industry in the city, Philadelphia has
few very large brownfield sites, but there are many
small sites located adjacent to residential neighbor-
hoods that negatively impact area residents. Nearly 23
percent of Philadelphia's residents live in poverty, and
about half of the census tracts in the city are classified
as low-income communities. African-Americans make
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Assessment Grant
A2003
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Philadelphia for a
brownfields assessment grant. The city intends to
use grant funds to conduct environmental site
assessments at brownfields throughout Philadel-
phia County, with a focus on properties in the
North Delaware Riverfront area, the Port of
Philadelphia, and the planned Schuylkill River
Greenway. Grant funds also will be used for
community involvement activities.
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 Philadelphia, PA
215-683-2028
Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City
of Philadelphia 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.
up 43 percent of the city's population, Hispanics almost
9 percent, and nearly 5 percent of the population is of
Asian descent.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA500-F-03-161
June 2003
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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