\ Brownfields 2011 Revolving Loan Fund Grant
Fact Sheet
Central Florida Regional Planning Council
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 Central Florida Regional Planning Council was
selected to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund
grant. The Council serves the Counties of Polk, Hardee,
Highlands, DeSoto, and Okeechobee (combined
population 787,060). This inland, 5,177-square-mile
region is primarily rural. Phosphate has been mined in the
region almost continually since its discovery in 1888.
Phosphate mine-scarred lands are a common feature of
Polk County and cover much of the area around the Cities
of Fort Meade and Mulberry. As phosphate deposits were
mined out, associated businesses closed, leaving behind
abandoned commercial and industrial sites, vacant
buildings, and waste dumps. Tributaries of the Peace
River, a critical habitat in the region, have been degraded
by mining activities. The unemployment rate in Polk
County is 13.1 percent, and per capita and median
household incomes are significantly lower than state and
national averages. Brownfield cleanups conducted
through the RLF grant will reduce the risks associated
with sites, help eliminate blight, and increase property
values.
Revolving Loan Fund Grant
$500,000 for hazardous substances
$500,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Central Florida Regional
Planning Council for a brownfields revolving loan
fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a
revolving loan fund from which the Central
Florida Regional Planning Council will provide
loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities
for sites contaminated with hazardous substances
and petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to
oversee cleanups and support community
involvement activities. Focus areas will be Polk
County and the Cities of Mulberry and Fort Meade
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: Central Florida Regional
Planning Council
(863) 534-7130 ext 124
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)
E PA 560-F-128-040
May 2011
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