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Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact
Sheet
Montgomery County Community College,
Pottstown, PA
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
February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into
law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The
Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our
economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law
provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to
award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial
and commercial sites. Under this law, EPA will provide
financial assistance to eligible applicants through four
competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving
loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants.
Community Description
Montgomery County Community College was selected to
receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Incorporated in 1815,
Pottstown (population 21,859) has been the home of many
industries, including Bethlehem Steel. The targeted Old
PECO Building site, once home to the Philadelphia
Electric Company, was abandoned in the 1990s.
Brownfield sites in Pottstown negatively affect the health
and welfare of area residents. The city's poverty rate is
significantly higher than the county rate, and the median
household income is significantly lower than the county
median. The lack of employment and decreasing
population limit the town's ability to redevelop brownfield
sites. Site cleanup will reduce exposure to contaminants
and help stop migration of pollutants to the Schuylkill
River, the source of water for 1.7 million people. The
college plans to reuse the building on the site for its
Environmental Science Program and as an interpretive
visitors' center for the nearby Schuylkill River National
and State Heritage Area.

Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
(Recovery Act Funding)
EPA has selected Montgomery County
Community College for a brownfields cleanup
grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be
used to clean up the three-acre Old PECO
Building site at 140 College Drive in Pottstown.
The Philadelphia Electric Company used the site
as a power generating facility until the early
1990s. Site soils are contaminated with arsenic
and metals, and the building on the site contains
inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be
used to 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 3 Brownfields Team
(215)814-3129
EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf -lr)
Grant Recipient: Montgomery County Community
College,PA
(610) 718-1846
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-09-275
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	May 2009
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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