Brownfields
Success Story
Strengthening Shubuta
A Brown fields Coalition Boosts
Community in Clarke County, Mississippi
Located in east-central Mississippi, Clarke County (population 17,200) is
a rural area with an agricultural base in cotton cultivation. At the turn of
the 21st century, the county's economy also was driven by electric engine
equipment and textile manufacturing. However, when several plants
closed, more than 10 percent of county residents lost their jobs, and
blighted, vacant and underused brownfields were created.
Officials in Quitman, the Clarke County seat, mobilized other county
leaders to reinvigorate the economy. "We spent hours planning
redevelopment strategies," says Quitman Mayor Eddie Fulton. "When
developers inquiring about an abandoned property asked whether an
environmental site assessment had been conducted, we began to focus
more on the redevelopment of brownfields."
The Opportunity
In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Quitman
a $400,000 Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. The Quitman
Brownfields Coalition included representatives from the city, the
county and the towns of Enterprise, Stonewall and Shubuta. The
coalition took inventory of brownfields and prioritized cleanup and
redevelopment projects. In Shubuta, the coalition identified two
opportunities for investment.
Two Projects in Shubuta
The nonprofit Shubuta Outreach Family Clinic was buiit at the site of
a former gas station. When some underground storage tanks began
to leak, the clinic faced closure due to the steep fines from local
environmental authorities and significant investment needed to remove
the tanks. The Quitman Brownfields Coalition agreed to use its grant
resources to address the tank issues on the site, funding both Phase I
oEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

The Quitman Brownfields Coalition helped
clear the way for development of the
Shubuta Senior Citizens Center.
EPA Grant Recipient:
Quitman Brownfields Coalition
Grant Type:
$400,000 Brownfields
Assessment Coalition Grant
Former Uses:
Gas station, rural lot
Current Uses:
Shubuta Outreach Family Clinic,
Shubuta Senior Citizens Center
The Shubuta Outreach Family Clinic was
one of several properties prioritized for
brownfields assessment, cleanup and

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and Phase II environmental site assessments. The Phase II assessment
required removal of the tanks to allow for sampling and analysis of
soils and groundwater beneath them. The county provided in-kind
assistance to excavate and remove the tanks, allowing the clinic to
continue operations.
The Quitman Brownfields Coalition also identified an investment
opportunity at the site of a proposed senior center. Approximately 20
percent of Shubuta's 510 residents are 62 years of age or older. For some
time, the village's senior citizens wanted a place for social gatherings.
A centrally located lot was proposed for the site, but there were some
concerns about past petroleum activities and possible underground
storage tanks. The coalition commissioned a Phase I environmental site
assessment to identify and address any contamination. The assessment
did not reveal any recognized environmental concerns, and the property
was cleared for redevelopment. The U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development awarded a Community Development Block Grant to
help build the center, which opened in 2012.
The Benefits
Keeping the clinic's doors open created temporary remediation work
and saved the fuli-time jobs of the healthcare professionals and staff
who work there. If the clinic had been forced to close, Shubuta's
residents would have lost convenient access to affordable primary
healthcare. Building the senior center created approximately 16
temporary engineering, siting, design and construction jobs, and at least
two people work there regularly. Shubuta's older residents now have a
place to get together, socialize and enjoy free meals.
"Modest government investments have strengthened this small town,"
says Jay Estes, an environrnentai consultant who worked on the projects
in Shubuta. "Saving a clinic and clearing the way for a new senior center
have made a big difference in the community."
ft The Brownfields
Assessment
Coalition Grant
gave us the
tools to spark
new economic
life into our
community. 33
Mayor Eddie Fulton,
Quitman, Mississippi
S*S6Q«F-16-}6G

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