Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Moundsville, WV 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 City of Moundsville was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, Moundsville (population 9,998) is a small community with a rich industrial and manufacturing history. The decline in the area's once-booming industrial and manufacturing sectors, including glass, coal, and steel production, led to a region-wide decline in population, jobs, and economic growth. In Moundsville, 22.4 percent of residents live below the poverty level. The median household income in the city is significantly lower than the state and national medians. Sites such as the targeted parcel are constant reminders of the decline in the region's prosperity. Cleanup of the target site will reduce the threat of contamination and provide an opportunity to educate the public and businesses about environmental health issues. It also will represent the first step in realizing plans for redeveloping the area into a plaza for the arts, education, and culture. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances (Recovery Act Funding) EPA has selected the City of Moundsville for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the former Fostoria Glass Plant site at the intersection of First Street and Route 250. Opened in 1891, the Fostoria Glass Plant produced handmade glassware for nearly 100 years. Site buildings and soil are contaminated with arsenic, metals, and inorganic contaminants. 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 3 Brownfields Team (215)814-3129 EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf -Ir) Grant Recipient: City of Moundsville,WV (304)845-6300 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-09-206 May 2009 ------- |