Q \ Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
\ J Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Control, Wilmington, DE

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. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization 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, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located in the City of
Wilmington, South Wilmington (population 2,200) was
historically largely agricultural. Beginning in the 1870s,
steel, iron, and leather workshops replaced agriculture
as an economic base until 1900, when they were
supplanted by oil refineries, automotive shops, and
salvage yards. Wastes generated by industrial
operations likely were disposed of directly into the
nearby Christina River and on upland and wetland
properties, including the targeted South Wilmington
Wetland. South Wilmington contains the Southbridge
residential neighborhood, an underserved minority
community that is a federally designated Enterprise
Community and Empowerment Zone. It has the highest
proportion of contaminated property in the state, with
76 percent of the land identified as contaminated.
Brownfield assessments will allow the Department to
identify contaminated areas and address related
environmental and human health concerns.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Delaware Department of
Natural Resources and Environmental Control for a
brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site
assessments at four to six parcels within the 27-acre
South Wilmington Wetland. Grant funds also will be
used to conduct cleanup planning and 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: Delaware Department of Natural
Resources and Environmental Control
(302) 739-9283
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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