^    Brownfields 2010 Cleanup Grant Fact  Sheet
               Millen, GA
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 Millen was selected to receive a brownfields
cleanup grant. Millen (population 3,492) is a small rural
community in east-central Georgia. Due to the dramatic
decline of the textile and manufacturing industries, Millen
has numerous idled and vacant brownfield properties. The
recent loss of three additional key employers has further
eroded the economy. The unemployment rate is now 21.3
percent, and 35 percent of residents live below the
poverty level. These rates are substantially higher than
those of the county and state. Approximately 60 percent
of Millen residents are African-American. The target site
is a vacant deteriorated property in the city"s downtown
across from the county courthouse. Cleanup of the site
will reduce threats of exposure to contaminants
originating from the site. Cleanup also is expected to
allow the city to redevelop the site into a combined office
and restaurant with landscaped walkways.
                     Cleanup Grant

                     $30,000 for hazardous substances
                     $170,000 for petroleum

                     EPA has selected the City of Millen for a
                     brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
                     and petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up
                     the former SOC Station site at 622 East Winthrope
                     Avenue. The site was a gasoline station and
                     automobile repair facility. The soil is
                     contaminated with petroleum, and the building is
                     contaminated with hazardous substances. Grant
                     funds also will be used for 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: City of Millen,GA
                     706-210-2000 ext 119

                     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-10-075
      April 2010

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