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Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, PA
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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. Abrownfield 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
Pv.evitalization 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, Sanding support is provided to state and
tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation
(LVEDC) was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment coalition grant. The LVEDC"s coalition
partners are the Cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and
Easton, and Lehigh and Northampton Counties (combined
population 623,196). Lehigh Valley was built on the steel
industry, when coal was ferried down the Lehigh Fiver to
stoke the fires of steel foundries along the riverfront. The
resulting slag and coal ash aggregate has been used as fill
across the region. These materials created elevated levels
of metals in area soils. Lehigh Valley"s inventory lists 103
brownfield sites. Seventy-two of the sites, totaling 1,955
acres, are vacant. The Cities of Allentown, Bethlehem,
and Easton have far higher percentages of minority
residents than the rest of the state, and these residents are
disproportionately affected by potential health risks from
nearby brownfield sites. Brownfield assessments will help
continue the momentum for redevelopment and are
expected to facilitate site cleanup and reuse.
Assessment Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Lehigh Valley Economic
Development Corporation for a brownfields
assessment coalition grant. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
continue developing an inventory of brownfields
that will include mine sites. Grant funds also will
be used to conduct about 19 Phase I and 15 Phase
II environmental site assessments, develop five
cleanup plans, and support community outreach
activities.
Contacts
For farther information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields Web site
(http: //www. ep a go v/brownfi el d s).
EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team
(215) 314-3129
EPA Poegion 3 Brownfields Web site
(http: //www. ep a go v/reg3 hwm d'bf -lr)
Grant Pv.ecipient: Lehigh Valley Economic
Devel o pment Corp orati on, PA
610-266-7179
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 lid W-:J-
Environmental	arrJ Fmpropnrv	EPA 560-F-10-057
P icitedi cn .agency	Response C5105T)	Af,il 2010
Washington, D C 20450	Ke^onse i&i I)

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