Brownfields 2007 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Cordova, AL 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 January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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 City of Cordova was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located in Walker County, Cordova (population 2,423) is part of the Birmingham Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 1800s, Walker County was synonymous with coal. In 1891, the county had 400 coke ovens, six coal mines, and two mills in operation. With the decline in manufacturing and production, the mines and mills closed. Cordova has lost 25 percent of its population since 1960 because of its historical dependence on mills and mines. In 2000, 25.6 percent of families in Cordova lived below the poverty level. About 70 percent of the downtown shops are vacant, some deteriorated to the point of structural failure. Several abandoned service stations are located within a half-mile radius of the city center. Assessment of former service stations will contribute to efforts to improve the water quality of the Mulberry Fork River, increase jobs and tax revenues, and rejuvenate the community. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Cordova for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to inventory abandoned service stations, implement a community health study, and perform Phase I and 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 4 Brownfields Team (404) 562-8792 EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region4/was te/bf) Grant Recipient: City of Cordova,AL (205) 483-9266 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-07-038 May 2007 ------- |