Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
    ™          Lw/?a County, NM
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

Luna County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Located in southern New Mexico, Luna
County (population 25,016) contains a landfill that
occupies about 80 acres. From 1941 through 1969,
dumping operations consisted of waste disposal and
debris burning. Erosion periodically exposed waste  and
washed it onto the banks of the Mimbres River. Potential
contamination from the site could affect the river and
drinking water supply wells used by the City of Deming.
The target site area has a large Hispanic population. The
19 percent unemployment rate in Luna County is the
highest in the state. Assessment of the target site will
allow the county to determine if the site poses health and
safety risks to local residents and the area's water supply.
Site assessment is expected to facilitate its cleanup and
planned redevelopment as an outdoor nature center  that
will provide recreational and educational opportunities for
residents.
                     Assessment Grant

                     $200,000 for hazardous substances

                     EPA has selected Luna County for a brownfields
                     assessment grant. Site-specific hazardous
                     substances grant funds will be used to perform a
                     Phase I and a Phase II environmental site
                     assessment of the Tulip Drive Landfill located
                     half a mile southeast of the intersection of State
                     Highways 180 and 26. Grant funds also will be
                     used to develop a cleanup plan, conduct health
                     monitoring, implement institutional controls, and
                     conduct 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: Luna County,NM
                     575-543-6641

                     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-10-135
      April 2010

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