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 ------- 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 ------- |