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Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant
Fact Sheet
Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management
      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. 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 this law, 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 Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management (RIDEM) was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment coalition grant. RIDEM's
coalition partners are the municipalities of Central Falls,
Pawtucket, and Cumberland (combined population
123,726). RIDEM anticipates  focusing 60 percent of the
grant on these three municipalities, and the remaining 40
percent on properties throughout the state  (population
1,048,319). The coalition municipalities were part of the
American Industrial Revolution beginning in the late
1700s. The first U.S. textile mill was built in Pawtucket in
1790. The coalition is connected by the Broad Street
corridor along the historic Blackstone River. Over
one-third of residents in these neighborhoods live below
the poverty level. There are about 90 potential brownfield
sites in the area, including automotive shops, gas stations,
and former heavy manufacturing facilities. Abandoned
and underused former industrial properties also can be
seen along almost any road in the state. Brownfield
assessments are expected to facilitate the state's long-term
goals of brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.
                                       Assessment Grant
                                       $1,000,000 for hazardous substances
                                       (Recovery Act Funding)
                                       EPA has selected the Rhode Island Department of
                                       Environmental Management for a brownfields
                                       assessment coalition grant. Community-wide
                                       hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                                       inventory sites and conduct a minimum of 25
                                       Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site
                                       assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                                       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 1 Brownfields Team
                                       (617)918-1424
                                       EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site
                                       (http://www.epa.gov/regionl/bro wnfields)

                                       Grant Recipient: Rhode Island Department of
                                       Environmental Management
                                       (401) 222-4700 ext 7126

                                       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-09-150
      May 2009

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