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Brownfields 2006 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Albany, NY
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 Albany was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Located in eastern New York, Albany
(population 93,919) became the state capital in 1797. As
the seat of state government and home to many
educational institutions, Albany has one of the highest
rates of tax-exempt property in the state, and a large
portion of the city is not available for redevelopment.
Since 1950, the city has lost 37 percent of its population.
As the city endeavors to reverse its negative trends, the
lack of readily available properties for development has
become a barrier to economic recovery. Albany is
focusing its assessment of petroleum-contaminated sites
in eight neighborhoods that have poverty rates of at least
20 percent and unemployment rates at least 125 percent
of the state average. These distressed communities also
contain a disproportionate number of brownfields sites,
which have hampered investment and redevelopment.
When brownfields are redeveloped, they will be used for
housing, retail space, wholesale and service trade
facilities, and greenspace. Brownfields redevelopment
will create increased job opportunities, provide a wider
availability of goods and services to underserved areas,
expand the tax base, and reduce the exposure of residents
to pollutants.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Albany for a
brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant
funds will be used to perform up to four Phase I
and three Phase II environmental site assessments,
develop cleanup plans, and conduct 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 2 Brownfields Team
(212) 637-4309
EPA Region 2 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/region02/br ownfields/)
Grant Recipient: City of Albany,NY
(518) 434-5265
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
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-06-037
May 2006

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