Brownfields  2003 Assessment  Grant Fact  Sheet
    ™          Osivego County, NY
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. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into
law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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

Oswego County was  selected to receive an assessment
grant. Oswego County borders Lake Ontario in north
central New York State. The county has targeted
brownfields along the Oswego Canal for this assessment
grant. The Oswego Canal Corridor (population under
30,000) runs parallel  to and intersects with the Oswego
River, which served as an important transportation artery
for early settlers and powered the area's mills following
the Industrial Revolution. After World War II, more
cost-efficient rail transportation and the establishment of
the interstate highway system diminished the canal's
significance. The Post-Cold War economic downturn
forced many industries along the canal to shut down.
Portions of the canal  are littered with underutilized or
vacant sites that once housed thriving industrial, energy,
and transportation businesses. The county unemployment
rate is 9 percent, compared to the national average of just
over 4 percent. The per capita income in Oswego County
is $16,853, compared to $23,389 for New York State, and
14 percent of the population lives below the poverty level.
The closing of two factories in 1995 cost the county 8
percent of its jobs and created an estimated 435 acres of
brownfields. The assessment and eventual cleanup and
redevelopment of brownfields along the canal will
stimulate economic development by creating jobs,
increasing tourism revenue, and bringing  in new
                     Assessment Grant

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

                     EPA has selected Oswego County for a
                     brownfields assessment grant. The county will use
                     grant funds to inventory, prioritize, and conduct
                     environmental site assessments at properties along
                     the Oswego Canal. Grant funds will also be used
                     for community involvement and 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 2 Brownfields Team
                     (212) 637-4309
                     EPA Region 2 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/region02/br ownfields/)

                     Grant Recipient: Oswego County, New York
                     (315)349-8292

                     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)
EPA500-F-03-157
      June 2003

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