f w \ Brownfields 2006 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Selma, 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 Selma was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Located in central Alabama, Selma
(population 20,512) is a historic city with many structures
dating back to the 1800s, and a history spanning from the
Civil War to the civil rights movement. The city is a
federally designated Renewal Community, and is
characterized by low-wage jobs, a lack of affordable
housing, blight, and abandoned commercial properties.
The unemployment rate is 9.1 percent, 31 percent of
residents live below the poverty level, and 70 percent of
residents are African-American. Exceptionally high rates
of coronary disease and lung, breast, and colon cancers
have been reported in the city's African-American
population. Brownfields are concentrated in minority
neighborhoods and have had a negative impact on the
entire city's economy. When brownfields are assessed and
eventually cleaned up, they will be returned to productive
use with a mix of business and residential development.
Brownfields redevelopment will attract investment, spur
economic opportunities, create higher-paying jobs, protect
human health, and increase affordable housing.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Selma for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to develop a
brownfields inventory and perform Phase I and
Phase II environmental site assessments. Funds
also will be used to develop cleanup plans,
conduct community outreach, and determine the
possible impacts of human exposure to hazardous
substances.
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 Selma,AL
(334)874-2111
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	c
Environmental	anri Fmpflpn™	EPA 560-F-06-069
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	May 2006
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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