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                           Brownfields
                           Assessment
                           Anderson  County,  TN
BACKGROUND

EPA has selected Anderson County for a Brownfields
Assessment Pilot. The target area for the Pilot is the Coal
Creek watershed area (population 4,483), which once was
a prosperous coal mining region in eastern Tennessee.
The Coal Creek watershed includes the communities of
Briceville, Fraterville, Beech Grove, and Lake City. Acid
mine drainage and heavy metals from slag heaps, both
related to coal mining are known to contaminate the area.
In addition, there is a perception of further contamination
because of the underground nature of many coal mining
activities. The  existing blight, fear of additional
contamination, and lack of resources are obstacles to
revitalizing  the  Coal  Creek  watershed  area.
Redevelopment ofbrownfields is a key element in the Coal
Creek watershed communities' effort to attract new
residents, expand business opportunities, and  stimulate
tourism in the area.

The area now struggles with the interrelated economic
devastation and environmental degradation left behind by
the departure of the coal mining industry. Many residents
are  without  financial  resources, jobs, education, and
sufficient health care. More than 30 percent of families in
area communities live in poverty. Per capita income in
these communities ranges from $6,200 to $7,600, and
unemployment ranges from 10 to 15 percent.

OBJECTIVES

The county's objective is to complete the groundwork
necessary to make economic recovery feasible in  the
watershed area. This Pilot will  build upon the process
developed for the Dark Shades Brownfields Pilot Project
in Central City, Pennsylvania, and includes actively involving
the communities in the redevelopmentprocess. In orderto
accomplish this objective, the Pilot will conduct Phase I
and Phase II site  assessments of priority sites; develop a
strategic plan for the cleanup  and redevelopment of
priority sites; and actively engage community members in
all phases of the  process.
   PILOT SNAPSHOT
    Anderson County,
    Tennessee
Date of Announcement:
May 2002

Amount: $200,000

Profile: The Pilot targets
potential brown fields in the Coal
Creek watershed area for
redevelopment in order to
stimulate  economic and
environmental recovery of the
area, which was devastated by
the departure of the coal mining
industry.
   Contacts:
   Anderson County
   (865)457-6200
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA Region 4
(404)562-8661
        Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at:
       http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

      For further information, including specific Pilot contacts,
    additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
    publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
             www.epa.gov/brownfields
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Locating and inventorying potential brownfield sites;

• Prioritizing brownfield sites and identifying sites most
  appropriate for redevelopment;

• Conducting Phase I assessments of these sites and
  conducting and evaluating Phase II assessments of
  priority sites as needed;

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• Developing a comprehensive cleanup and redevelopment
  plan and seeking public consensus on the plan; and

• Conducting public  meetings  and other community
  outreach activities to inform and engage individuals and
  organizations in each phase of the process.

The cooperative agreement forthis Pilot has notyetbeen negotiated; therefore,
activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
                                                               Solid Waste            EPA 500-F-02-037
                                                               and Emergency         May 2002
                                                               Response (5105)       www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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