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Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant
Fact Sheet
Preston County Economic Development
Authority, WV
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
The Preston County Economic Development Authority
was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant.
Preston County (population 30,384) is a large rural
county nestled between Pennsylvania, Maryland, and
West Virginia. Rail lines were instrumental in the county's
growth, as was the expansion of the coal mining and
timber industries. Downsizing in these industries resulted
in vacant, idled properties and abandoned, potentially
contaminated rail lines. The targeted Cheat River corridor
contains 18 brownfield parcels and a 20-acre former coal
preparation plant. The region is impacted by acid mine
drainage from area mines and erosion from timber
operations. The median household income in the county is
32 percent lower than the national average, and 45
percent of residents commute outside of the county for
employment. Brownfield assessments will help address
uncertainties about contamination and its effects on
human health and the environment, and facilitate the
planned redevelopment of railway sites into a community
trail that is expected to create recreational opportunities.

Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
(Recovery Act Funding)
EPA has selected the Preston County Economic
Development Authority for a brownfields
assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to inventory
brownfield sites and conduct 15 Phase I and 10
Phase II environmental site assessments, primarily
along a 10-mile corridor of abandoned railways
adjacent to the Cheat River. 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: Preston County Economic
Development Authority,WV
(304) 329-2299
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-09-173
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	May 2009
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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