/ D \ Brownfields 2000 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet 1^1^ J Gila River indian Community, AZ EPA Brownfields Initiative 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. Background EPA has selected the Gila River Indian Community for a Brownfields Pilot. The Gila River Indian Community is a federally recognized tribe located in southcentral Arizona. The reservation encompasses 640 square miles, spanning across both Maricopa and Pinal counties. The reservation is the fourth most populous Indian reservation in the United States, including approximately 21,000 tribal members. The tribal population currently experiences a 31 percent unemployment rate, with 22 percent of tribal members living below the poverty line. The reservation is bordered to the north by the City of Phoenix and to the east by a significant growth corridor linking the City of Phoenix and the Town of Coolidge. The Pilot will target the Blackwater Industrial Park because of its proximity to this major growth corridor. The Blackwater Industrial Park has three abandoned sites-a former explosive manufacturing plant, a former furniture resin manufacturing plant, and a used tire storage facility-all of which are perceived to have environmental contamination. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 05/01/2000 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Gila River Indian Community Pilot will target brownfields in the Blackwater Industrial Park site. 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 9 Brownfields Team (415)972-3091 EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/region9/brownfields) Grant Recipient: Gila River Indian Community,AZ (520) 562-2234 ext 225 Objectives The purpose of the Pilot will be to help ensure that the Gila River Indian Community will be included within the area's broader economic growth initiatives. The Pilot will help prepare for the revitalization of the Blackwater Industrial Park. The project strategy centers on effectively combining the interests and resources of all parties to logically proceed from the presently unused or abandoned sites to offering the sites as locations for new businesses or other economic activities. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments of brownfields within the Blackwater Industrial Park; • Preparing a site restoration plan; and • Conducting community involvement activities to develop possible reuse scenarios. United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-00-097 nil- a ancl Emergency .. __ Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV00 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. 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 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-00-097 May 00 ------- |