Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
    *          Dixie County, FL
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

Dixie County was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Formed in 1921, Dixie County
(population 15,615) sits between the Steinhatchee and
Suwannee Rivers and has coastline on the Gulf of
Mexico. Dixie County's economy is based on the timber
and agricultural industries, especially cattle.  The
numerous brownfield sites in the county are the result of
the decline in these industries. The county's landscape is
dotted with abandoned cattle dipping vats and lumber
industry facilities. These sites have impacted the area's
drinking water supply. Investigations indicate that the
level of arsenic contamination in 42 of 125 public and
private wells tested exceeded safety standards.  The
median household and per capita incomes in the county
are significantly lower than the state averages. The
poverty rate in 2005 was 24 percent, almost twice the
state average. Brownfield assessments will help the
county determine the extent of contamination, and
facilitate site cleanup and  reuse.
                     Assessment Grants

                     $200,000 for hazardous substances
                     $200,000 for petroleum

                     EPA has selected Dixie County for two
                     brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                     hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds
                     will be used to develop an inventory of sites and
                     conduct 30 Phase I and 6 Phase II environmental
                     site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                     develop public health monitoring and cleanup
                     plans, and 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 4 Brownfields Team
                     (404) 562-8792
                     EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/region4/was te/bf)

                     Grant Recipient: Dixie County,FL
                     (352)498-1426

                     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-09-253
      May 2009

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