^    Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant  Fact Sheet
               Hamilton County, TN
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

Hamilton County was selected to receive a brownfields
cleanup grant. The target site is in the City of Chattanooga
in Hamilton County (population 307,896). Hamilton
County's industrial history dates back to the late 1800s
and extends into the 1960s, when chemical manufacturing
hit its peak in Chattanooga. For years, many area
industries used Chattanooga Creek and vacant land  as
dumping sites. A 7.7-mile stretch of the creek runs
through Alton Park, the location of the target site. When
businesses and factories closed, they left behind 150 acres
of land, including abandoned commercial buildings. This
land includes 41 known or suspected hazardous waste
sites. Ninety-six percent of Alton Park's residents are
minorities, 52 percent of households live below the
poverty level, and the neighborhood has a 23 percent
unemployment rate. Cleanup of the target  site will remove
hazards and blight from the community and make Alton
Park more appealing for business investment. County
plans call for redeveloping the site as a community
recreation complex.
                     Cleanup Grant

                     $200,000 for hazardous substances

                     EPA has selected Hamilton County for a
                     brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
                     grant funds will be used to clean up the former
                     Charles A. Bell Elementary School site located in
                     Alton Park at 3501 Central Avenue in
                     Chattanooga. The 10-acre site was an elementary
                     school from 1960 to 1990. Site soils are
                     contaminated with polycyclic aromatic
                     hydrocarbons and other contaminants. Grant funds
                     also will be used to conduct 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 4 Brownfields Team
                     (404) 562-8792
                     EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/region4/was te/bf)

                     Grant Recipient: Hamilton County, Tennessee
                     (423)209-7810

                     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-09-208
      May 2009

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