Brownfields 2011  Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
    ~          West Florida Regional Planning Council
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 West Florida Regional Planning Council was selected
to receive two brownfields assessment grants. The
Council serves seven counties (population 886,505) in
northwest Florida. Major hurricanes such as Ivan and
Dennis have taken a significant toll on the Gulf Coast,
resulting in the closure and abandonment of many small
businesses and gas stations. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill
in April 2010 is expected to have significant impact on
the coastal economy, even in areas left physically
untouched by the oil. The  region's economy has
experienced significant job losses within the past two
years. As a result, the unemployment rate in the area has
more than doubled and is higher than the national
average. The area's per capita and median household
incomes are both lower than national averages.
Brownfield assessments are expected to identify
environmental contamination and catalyze the cleanup
and redevelopment of properties in city business districts.
                     Assessment Grants

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

                     EPA has selected the West Florida Regional
                     Planning Council for two brownfields assessment
                     grants. Community-wide hazardous substances
                     and petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct
                     45 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site
                     assessments. 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: West Florida Regional Planning
                     Council
                     (850) 332-7976 ext 222

                     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)
E PA 560-F-128-049
       May 2011

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