HI
                            C3
 Brownfields  2003

 Grant  Fact  Sheet

     l/l/esf Monroe,  LA



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 West Monroe was selected to receive an
assessment grant. The city contains about 100
brownfields that are known to be or are potentially
contaminated with petroleum. West Monroe's popula-
tion of 13,250 has a poverty rate of about 22 percent
and aper capita income of only $16,803. The city is
focusing this grant on several distressed areas. Pockets
of the city, such as census tract 56, which is a potential
target area for this grant, have substantially higher
poverty rates. Assessment, cleanup, and redevelop-
ment of brownfields will promote economic growth and
improve job opportunities for city residents. The City
will encourage citizen participation in the assessment
and redevelopment process through neighborhood
meetings and other regular communications methods.
                                                  Assessment Grant
$200,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the City of West Monroe for a
brownfields assessment grant. The grant will be
used to conduct assessment activities at its 16
highest priority petroleum-contaminated
brownfields. Grant funds will also be used to
ensure community input in neighborhoods im-
pacted by targeted sites and to revise the city's
inventory of petroleum-contaminated brownfields
sites by adding additional criteria, such as sensi-
tive population data.
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 6 Brownfields Team
214-665-6736
http://www.epa.gov/earth 1 r6/6sf/bfpages/
sfbfhome.htm

Grant Recipient: City of West Monroe, LA
318-323-5700

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City
of West Monroe has received brownfields 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.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                      EPA500-F-03-213
                      June 2003
                      www.epa.gov/brownfields

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