I ^ | Brownfields 2004 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Gila River Indian Community, AZ 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 Gila River Indian Community was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. The community, a federally recognized tribe of approximately 16,000, is the fourth most populous American Indian reservation in the United States. The reservation is situated south of the rapidly growing city of Phoenix. Prior to the opening of a casino in 1995, unemployment within the community was over 60 percent. Today, the unemployment rate remains over six times the Arizona state rate, and 65 percent of households have incomes below the poverty level. The adult diabetes rate, the highest in the country, exceeds 50 percent. Cleanup and development of the St. John Mission site will not only provide the community with a facility to address serious health concerns, but is also expected to generate new jobs in an area in need of sustained job growth. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Gila River Indian Community for a brownfields cleanup grant. The grant will be used to clean up petroleum contamination from leaking underground storage tanks on the St. John Mission site at Pecos Road and 51st Avenue in Komatke, AZ. The site will be redeveloped as a Diabetes Education and Resource Center. 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 9 Brownfields Team (415) 972-3091 EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region9/bro wnfields ) Grant Recipient: Gila River Indian Community,AZ (520) 562-2234 ext 225 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-04-050 Protection Agency Response (5105T) June 2004 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |