Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Knoxville, 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

The City of Knoxville was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Knoxville (population
175,027) is located in east Tennessee. South Knoxville,
the target area, is located on the south bank of the
Tennessee River directly across from downtown. South
Knoxville contains active and closed industrial facilities
with potential contamination, including petroleum and
asphalt operations, furniture and automotive refinishers,
and mills. There are about 20 abandoned, idle, and
underused industrial and commercial  sites in the target
area, ranging in size from single lots to several acres. In
2006, 24 percent of Knoxville's residents lived below the
poverty level, and the median household income in the
city is significantly lower than the national average.
Brownfield assessments will determine possible health
risks posed by potentially contaminated properties and
help plan site cleanups.
                     Assessment Grants

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

                     EPA has selected the City of Knoxville for two
                     brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                     hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds
                     will be used to inventory brownfield sites and
                     conduct a minimum of 20 Phase I and Phase II
                     environmental site assessments in South
                     Knoxville. Grant funds also will be used to
                     conduct preliminary cleanup planning 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: City of Knoxville,TN
                     (865)215-4545

                     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-09-254
      May 2009

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