I ^ | Brownfields 2003 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet

Development Downtown, Inc., Buffalo, /VY

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

Development Downtown, Inc. was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Development Downtown, Inc.
is a quasi-governmental entity under the supervision of
the City of Buffalo. Historically, Buffalo (population
292,648) has been upstate New York's primary
manufacturing and industrial center, due in part to its
strategic location on Lake Erie. The closing of numerous
industrial facilities along Buffalo's waterways and canals
has contributed to urban blight and disinvestment in areas
with high redevelopment potential. Buffalo is among the
poorest of the 100 largest U.S. cities in terms of household
income, unemployment, and percentage of people on
public assistance. The city has a poverty rate of nearly 27
percent and an unemployment rate of almost 13 percent.

Fifteen percent of the total land area in the city is vacant.

Parcel 2 of the Union Ship Canal property was used
primarily for iron production and included furnaces and
numerous buildings. Once cleaned up, the parcel will be
incorporated into the Union Ship Canal Redevelopment
project, which is expected to dramatically stimulate
economic development in the City of Buffalo.

Cleanup Grant

$200,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected Development Downtown, Inc.
for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will
be used to conduct petroleum cleanup activities at
Parcel 2 of the Union Ship Canal property, which
is part of a larger mixed-use redevelopment
project that will stimulate economic development
in the City of Buffalo. An assessment of Parcel 2
found 1,388 cubic yards of
petroleum-contaminated soils on the site.

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 Buffalo, New York
(Development Downtown, Inc.)

(716)856-6525

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 500-F-03-084

Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	June 2003

Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )


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