i O \ Brownfields 2006 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
I	Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Gulf Coast
Region, MS
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 Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
was selected to receive two brownfields assessment
grants. The targeted communities are in the state's Gulf
Coast Region, in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson
Counties, and specifically the communities of Bay St.
Louis, Biloxi, D'Iberville, Gautier, Gulfport, Long
Beach, Pascagoula, Pass Christian, Ocean Springs,
Moss Point, and Waveland (combined population
363,988). Prior to Hurricane Katrina, at least 163 sites
were identified in the three counties. The scale and
magnitude of long-term brownfield issues is unclear,
but it is clear that brownfields have been created by
Hurricane Katrina. The post-Katrina unemployment
rate in these counties ranges from 17.4 percent to 24.3
percent, and the poverty rates range from 12.7 percent
to 14.6 percent. When brownfields are revitalized, they
will be critical to the reconstruction of the Mississippi
Gulf Coast. Brownfields redevelopment will help to
rebuild the state's Gulf Coast Region, support the state's
economy, and reduce threats to human health and the
environment.
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality for two brownfields
assessment grants. Hazardous substances and
petroleum grant funds will be used to identify and
inventory post-Hurricane Katrina brownfields in the
state's Gulf Coast Region. Funds also will be used to
perform environmental site assessments, community
involvement activities, and cleanup planning.
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 4 Brownfields Team
(404) 562-8792
EPA Region 4 Brownfields Web site
(http: //www. epa.gov/region4/waste/bf)
Grant Recipient: Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality
(601) 961-5654
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.
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Environmental	anri Fmpflpn™	EPA 560-F-06-077
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Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	MaV06
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