Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
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 Bryan was selected to receive a brownfields
cleanup grant. Bryan (population 72,015) is located in the
Brazos Valley region of Texas. In 2001, the city adopted
a comprehensive Downtown  Master Plan, and today,
South Downtown is flourishing. North Downtown,
however, remains blighted with historic manufacturing
and warehouse properties. The city is creating a
Brownfields to Greenfields Initiative to address North
Downtown and has chosen to begin the initiative with
Block 106, a 37,500-square-foot city block. Within a
1.5-mile radius of the target site, there are 30 hazardous
waste sites,  2 air emissions sites, and 5 co-mingled sites.
Ninety-six percent of residents in the neighborhood
around the site are minorities, and 29 percent live  below
the poverty  level. The median household income is
significantly below the city, county, and state medians.
Cleanup of Block 106 will reduce threats to the health of
area residents and is expected to help attract economic
redevelopment and land preservation efforts to North
Downtown.
                     Cleanup Grant

                     $200,000 for hazardous substances

                     EPA has selected the City of Bryan for a
                     brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
                     grant funds will be used to clean up Block 106 at
                     600 North Main. Between 1925 and 1970, the site
                     was occupied by a variety of industrial operations,
                     including a cotton gin, battery repair shop, and a
                     dry cleaning facility. Contaminants of concern
                     include metals, benzene, and MTBE. Grant funds
                     will be used to remove and dispose of
                     contaminated soil, conduct air monitoring
                     activities during cleanup, 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 6 Brownfields Team
                     (214) 665-6780
                     EPA Region 6 Brownfields Web site
                     (http://www.epa.gov/region6/bro wnfields)

                     Grant Recipient: City of Bryan,TX
                     (979)209-5176

                     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-09-268
      May 2009

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