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4B-7 ] Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
* Auburn, NY
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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 City of Auburn was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in the heart of the
Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Auburn
(population 27,138) is the Cayuga County seat. It once
was a flourishing industrial city from which sawmills and
factories exported large quantities of goods along the Erie
Canal. Rail connections to Pennsylvania coal mines made
Auburn a major coal distribution site in upstate New
York. By the late 20th century, the city had lost much of
its industrial base. Factories, machine shops, and
warehouses were abandoned. To date, the city has
identified 15 brownfields on a total of 63 acres. As
industry has left the area, the city's population has
declined. The unemployment rate in Auburn exceeds the
county and state averages, and the median household
income is considerably lower than the state average.
Brownfield assessments will allow the city to investigate
potential contamination and related health risks, and are
expected to facilitate site cleanup and reuse.
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Auburn for two
brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds
will be used to conduct at least 18 Phase I and 10
Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
funds also will be used to conduct community
outreach and cleanup planning 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: City of Auburn, New York
315-255-4115
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)
EPA 560-F-10-043
April 2010
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