A \ Brownfields 2005 Assessment and Cleanup
Grant Fact Sheet
Portland, OR

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 Portland was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants and a cleanup grant. The
target areas are in North and Northeast neighborhoods, on
the east side of Portland (population 526,986). These
neighborhoods have a disproportionate number of
minority and low-income residents, and are within a
federally designated Enterprise Community. In North and
Northeast Portland, minorities comprise 41 percent of the
population, and the average poverty rate is 17 percent. In
some neighborhoods, the poverty rate is as high as 37
percent. This area also is home to 641 potential
brownfields sites which are contaminating the soil,
surface water, and groundwater with PCBs, asbestos,
lead, petroleum, and benzene. The former auto
maintenance shop targeted for cleanup is in a
neighborhood with several automobile garages and gas
stations that is sandwiched between the city's largest
industrial areas. Cleanup and redevelopment of the
brownfields will help these communities generate new
jobs, services and amenities; retain existing businesses;
and protect residents from health risks. Redevelopment
also will increase the city's tax base and preserve
greenspace.
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Portland for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
substances or petroleum grant funds will be used
to conduct Phase I and II site assessments, perform
cleanup planning, and implement community
outreach activities in North and Northeast Portland
neighborhoods with a total of 641 brownfields.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Portland for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be
used to clean up 8735 North Lombard, a former
automotive maintenance shop and refueling station
which contains 12 underground storage tanks. The
shop operated from 1930 to 1950, when it also
served as a parking garage. Grant funds also will
support 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 10 Brownfields Team
(206)553-7299
EPA Region 10 Brownfields Web site
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CL
EANUP.NSF/sites/bf)
Grant Recipient: City of Portland, Oregon
City of Portland
(503)823-5863
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-215
May 2005

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City of Portland
(503)823-5863
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 560-F-05-215
May 2005

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