Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Gurabo, PR
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders 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 contaminant. In 2002,
the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act was passed to help states and
communities around the country cleanup and revitalize
brownfields sites. Under this 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 Municipality of Gurabo was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located in eastern Puerto
Rico, Gurabo (population 36,743) is home to many
residents who commute to other cities for employment
and recreation. The municipality has identified 20
potential brownfield sites that include abandoned and
underused industrial facilities and former gas stations. In
the municipality's only industrial park, 75 percent of the
manufacturing facilities have shut down. The
municipality has a great need for affordable housing.
Many city residents live in substandard housing in
low-lying areas that often flood. The poverty rate in
several neighborhoods exceeds 50 percent. Brownfield
assessments are expected to facilitate site cleanups and
help the municipality move forward with plans to
redevelop its low-income communities. The municipality
also hopes site cleanups will spur the development of
affordable housing.
                     Assessment Grant

                     $200,000 for petroleum

                     EPA has selected the Municipality of Gurabo for a
                     brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide
                     petroleum grant funds will be used to inventory
                     brownfield sites and conduct up to seven Phase I
                     and up to five Phase II environmental site
                     assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                     support community outreach 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
                     (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                     EPA Region 2 Brownfields Team
                     (212) 637-3260
                     EPA Region 2 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/region2/bro wnfields)

                     Grant Recipient: Municipality of Gurabo,PR
                     (787) 737-6666

                     The information presented in this fact sheet comes
                     from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
                     accuracy of this information. The cooperative
                     agreement for the grant has not yet been
                     negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this
                     fact sheet are subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-10-183
      April 2010

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