Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Texarkana, TX
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 Texarkana was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Founded in 1873,
Texarkana (population 36,054) is located in northeast
Texas along the Arkansas border. The city has developed
a preliminary list of between 30 and 40 potential
petroleum-contaminated sites and more than 200
hazardous substances-contaminated sites in downtown
Texarkana and the Rose Hill neighborhood. Past activities
have left the target areas with numerous abandoned and
deteriorating structures, chemical contamination, and
drums of wastes or fuel. The percentage of minority
residents and individuals living below the poverty level is
significantly higher in the downtown and Rose Hill target
areas of the city. Unemployment, decreasing property
values, and declining revenues are limiting the city's
ability to move forward with revitalization plans.
Brownfield assessments will help the city better
understand and address specific exposure risks at the sites.
                     Assessment Grants

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

                     EPA has selected the City of Texarkana for two
                     brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                     hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                     conduct up to 25 Phase I and four Phase II
                     environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant
                     funds will be used to conduct up to 15 Phase I and
                     seven Phase II environmental site assessments.
                     Grants funds for both hazardous substances and
                     petroleum will be used to generate an inventory of
                     sites, support community outreach activities,
                     conduct health monitoring, and develop cleanup
                     plans. The city is targeting the downtown area and
                     the adjacent Rose Hill community for assessments.
                     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 6 Brownfields Team
                     (214) 665-6780
                     EPA Region 6 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/region6/bro wnfields)

                     Grant Recipient: City of Texarkana, Texas
                     (903) 798-3901

                     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-10-143
      April 2010

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