£ 3 % A ' SB s C3 Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet Biomedical Foundation Northwest Shreveport, EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, 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. Addi- tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana was selected to receive two brownfields cleanup grants. The Foundation is in the process of creating a science park for technology-based business in the City of Shreveport (population 200,145). Eighty-eight percent of residents in the target area census tract of downtown Shreveport are minorities. The poverty rate is 47 percent, and the average per capita income is $10,349, less than one-half of the *New 42006 $362,218 for hazardous substances Cleanup Grants 'i EPA has selected the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana for two brownfields cleanup grants. Grant funds will be used to conduct community outreach activities, develop cleanup plans, and remove hazardous substance contamination from the former Caddo Parish Health Unit on Kings Highway in Shreve- port. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach, develop cleanup plans, remove and dispose of 700 cubic yards of con- taminated soil, and install monitoring wells at the former Wilson Foods site on Kings Highway. 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 at: www.epa.gov/ brownfields. EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team 214-665-2241 http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields Grant Recipient: Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, LA 318-675-4105 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. national average. The targeted brownfields are in a severely disadvantaged area (population 2,026), sur- rounded by ten neighborhoods that are eligible for community development block grants. Cleanup of the sites will help prevent releases of hazardous contami- nants to the environment, thereby eliminating potential risks to the community. Redevelopment of the targeted brownfields will help complete the revitalization of the core of the science park's Tech Center. These brownfields are located adjacent to a laboratory incuba- Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-06-143 May 2006 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- tor that has a tenant that is planning to expand and employ 150 people in 2006. The science park redevel- opment is part of a 25-year plan that, when completed, will provide employment for 6,000 people and generate millions of dollars in tax revenues. The Foundation estimates that approximately 40 percent of the jobs created will require only a high school degree, making them appropriate for the target community. The plans also include parks and open spaces that will be avail- able to both employees and neighborhood residents. ------- |