Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet ™ Columbiana County Port Authority, OH 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 Columbiana County Port Authority was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located on the eastern edge of Ohio bordering Pennsylvania, Columbiana County (population 110,542) is a historical manufacturing area that once was rich in natural resources, including coal, clay, and timber. The county has a 150-year history of manufacturing pottery, brick, and tile products. Many vacant industrial sites are located along the Ohio River or its tributaries, posing potential threats to regional water quality. The county has been seriously impacted by the closing of steel mills and the reduction in mining during recent years. The unemployment rate reached 14.2 percent in July 2009. Brownfield assessments will help the county identify sites that pose potential threats to humans and the environment, and are expected to help it move forward with site cleanup and redevelopment. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Columbiana County Port Authority for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to update the county"s inventory of brownfield sites and conduct up to five Phase I and three or four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning and 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 5 Brownfields Team (312)886-7576 EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfiel ds) Grant Recipient: Columbiana County Port Authority,OH (330)386-9051 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-10-196 April 2010 ------- |