Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Alabama Department of Environmental Management 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 Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The state (population 4,447,100) is targeting an area that includes parts of the Counties of Montgomery, Lowndes, Dallas, and Perry (combined population 295,210) along U.S. Highway 80 in west-central Alabama. This area is a rural corridor with an agricultural heritage. A preliminary inventory of brownfields has identified 36 industrial and 62 commercial sites, as well as 54 service stations immediately adjacent to U.S. 80. ADEM estimates there are 225 registered underground storage tank sites in the area. Between 54 and 70 percent of residents in the four counties are minorities. From 18 to 33 percent of residents live below the poverty level, and the unemployment rate ranges from 10 to 21 percent. Brownfield assessments are expected to help clarify environmental concerns, which is the first step toward site cleanup and eventual reuse. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be used to perform 12 Phase I and two Phase II environmental site assessments 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 4 Brownfields Team (404) 562-8792 EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region4/was te/bf) Grant Recipient: Alabama Department of Environmental Management 334-271-7771 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-10-184 April 2010 ------- |