I 4B| Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Parkersburg, 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. 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 City of Parkersburg was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Parkersburg (population
33,158) was founded in 1820 at the confluence of the
Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
After the discovery of oil and natural gas in the area, the
city became a major shipping hub, and eventually the
industrial center for the valley. Downtown Parkersburg
was dominated by oil storage and refining operations. As
the oil and gas industry moved west, textile, glass, and
chemical industries emerged as the leading industries in
the area. Although many of these industries continue to
operate in the city, several facilities have been forced to
close due to global competition. The closure of just four
of these businesses resulted in the loss of nearly 600 jobs.
Plant closings have left behind numerous abandoned and
potentially contaminated sites. The loss of jobs and
population in the area has reduced tax revenues, forcing
budget cutbacks. Brownfield assessments are expected to
help facilitate cleanups and create economic opportunities
for the city.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Parkersburg for a
brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
complete a brownfields inventory and conduct
three to five Phase I environmental site
assessments and one Phase II environmental site
assessment. Grant funds also will be used for
cleanup planning and community outreach
activities.
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 Parkersburg,WV
304-424-8415
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-10-064
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	April 2010
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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