f w \ Brownfields 2007 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Nitro, WV
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 Nitro was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located 14 miles west
of Charleston on the Kanawha River, Nitro (population
6,782) was founded in 1917 for the specific purpose of
manufacturing nitro-cellulose gunpowder during World
War I. Following the war, the Nitro area became one of
the nation's largest chemical manufacturing centers.
Since then, the explosives and chemical industries have
downsized or closed, leaving many underused and
empty industrial facilities, and severely reducing quality
employment opportunities. Today, nearly 28 percent of
Nitro residents live in poverty, and the unemployment
rate is 50 percent higher than the national rate. The
long-term presence of the explosives and chemical
industries has resulted in a perception that many
properties are contaminated with hazardous chemicals.
Assessment of these brownfields will serve to catalyze
the city's redevelopment efforts and help to leverage
funding from additional sources.
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Nitro for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to conduct
community outreach and inventory brownfields
sites. Funds also will be used to conduct up to eight
Phase I and up to three Phase II environmental site
assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to
perform the same tasks at sites with potential
petroleum contamination.
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 3 Brownfields Team
(215)814-3129
EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf-lr)
Grant Recipient: City of Nitro ,WV
(304)755-5066
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.
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