Brownfields 2011 Assessment Grant Fact  Sheet
              Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
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 Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Rhode Island (population 1,053,209)
has a pressing need to develop affordable housing,
manage suitable growth in rural areas, and bring
underused sites back to productive reuse. The state's
industrial past has saddled many communities with
abandoned and contaminated mill complexes and  other
underused sites. The state is experiencing its most
difficult economic conditions in recent history and is
recovering from widespread flooding in March 2010 that
affected many communities. The state unemployment rate
of 11.8 percent is the fourth highest in the nation,  and
33,700 private sector jobs have been lost in the past three
years. These factors impede economic development and
prevent the creation of greenspace and recreational
opportunities for residents. Brownfield  assessments are
expected to act as a catalyst for major redevelopment
projects in communities across the state.
                    Assessment Grants

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

                    EPA has selected the Rhode Island Department of
                    Environmental Management for two brownfields
                    assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous
                    substances and petroleum grant funds will be used
                    to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site
                    assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                    support cleanup  planning 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 1 Brownfields Team
                     (617)918-1424
                     EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/regionl/bro wnfields)

                     Grant Recipient: Rhode Island Department of
                     Environmental Management
                     (401) 222-4700 ext 7126

                     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-128-018
       May 2011

-------