I JBt \ Brownfields 2004 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet

Ouray County, CO

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

Ouray County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. About 1,400 of Ouray County's 3,948
residents live in the target area along the Canyon Creek
watershed, which is the site of dozens of inactive mining
facilities abandoned since 1930. Because of its immense
historical value and visitor interest, the county is a
National Historic District. The county's partner in the
grant is the Red Mountain Project, a local effort to
conserve 11,000 acres of historic mining properties.

Ouray County also is working with other national and
local organizations to prevent the loss of natural,
recreational, and historic resources in the area due to
residential development, over-use, and neglect. The
assessment is expected to create economic benefits for the
county by improving and restoring ecosystem health,
protecting scenic open space, and preserving historical
buildings and structures.

Assessment Grant

$200,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected Ouray County for a brownfields
assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant
funds will be used to assess mine-scarred
properties in 4,000 acres of a watershed, in order
to prioritize properties for public acquisition and
cleanup. Funds will be used for Phase I site
assessments, Phase II site assessments on three to
five high-priority sites, community outreach,
environmental liability analysis, and GIS mapping.
One significant mine will be assessed for possible
acquisition, cleanup, and reuse as a historic
mining museum and visitor 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 8 Brownfields Team
(303)312-7074

EPA Region 8 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/region8/bro wnfields )

Grant Recipient: Ouray County,CO
(970)325-7320

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-04-167

Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	June 2004

Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )


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