Brownfields 2011 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Washington County Redevelopment Authority, PA
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 Redevelopment Authority of the County of
Washington was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Located in southwestern Pennsylvania,
Washington County (population 202,897) has a long
history as an industrial and coal mining center. From the
late 1800s to the mid-1950s, the region was the world's
leading producer of steel. Plant closings in recent years
have resulted in significant job losses and left behind
hundreds of acres of vacant and underused contaminated
lands. There are 136 brownfield sites in the county, the
majority of which are former industrial facilities and
mine-scarred lands. Seven municipalities in the county
have poverty levels significantly higher than the national
average, and median household incomes throughout the
region are significantly below the national average.
Brownfield assessments are expected to facilitate
implementation of the county's comprehensive cleanup
and sustainable redevelopment plan to transform sites into
community parks, reuse existing buildings, and
incorporate green building techniques.
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Redevelopment Authority of
the County of Washington for two brownfields
assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to conduct
eight Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site
assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
support community outreach activities. Petroleum
grant funds will be used to conduct the same tasks
at sites with potential petroleum contamination.
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 3 Brownfields Team
(215)814-3129
EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf -Ir)
Grant Recipient: Redevelopment Authority of the
County of Washington
(724) 228-6875
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-128-032
May 2011
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