A \ Brownfields 2009 Assessment and ?JS&>] Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Plainfield, NJ RECOUERY.GOV 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. On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial and commercial sites. Under both laws in Fiscal Year 2009, EPA will provide financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Community Description The City of Plainfield was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants and a brownfields cleanup grant. Settled in 1684 by Quakers, Plainfield (population 47,829) is located in northeastern New Jersey. Its location on a major rail line encouraged the growth of diverse industries, including printing and the manufacturing of chemicals and automotive parts. As the manufacturing sector declined, Plainfield was left with a legacy of contaminated sites dispersed within residential areas. According to an updated inventory, there are 344 potential brownfield sites in this six-square-mile city. Many of the sites are located in three targeted census tracts. The percentage of residents in these areas who live below the poverty level ranges from 19 to 32 percent. The percentage of minority residents in these neighborhoods ranges from 76 to 84 percent. Assessment of the city's brownfields is expected to encourage the cleanup and eventual redevelopment of the sites. Cleanup of the Lee Place site will reduce risks to public health. Once the site is cleaned up, the city has committed to redeveloping it for affordable housing. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Plainfield for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct five Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments and support community outreach activities. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding) EPA has selected the City of Plainfield for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Lee Place site at 208-222 Lee Place. This vacant one-half acre parcel was occupied by a dry cleaning plant from the 1940s through the 1990s. Soil and groundwater at the site are contaminated with perchloroethylene, semi-volatile organic compounds, and co-mingled petroleum products. Grant funds will be used to remove underground storage tanks and contaminated soil, clean up groundwater, 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 2 Brownfields Team (212) 637-4358 EPA Region 2 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region2/bro wnfields) United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-09-085 May 2009 ------- Grant Recipient: City of Plainfield,NJ (908)753-3699 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-09-085 May 2009 ------- |