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<br />OS/23/05 ION 09: 16 FAX 19038322672 ATCOG ~ 004 <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />EPA Bro~teldš Grants, Ark- Tex Council of Governmen... http://www.epa.gov/swerospslbfi'O5grdntslarktcxcog-htm <br /> <br />Ark- T ex Cou,nci I of Governments, <br />Southwest Arkansas and Northeast <br />Texas <br /> <br />EPA BROWNFJELDS PROGRAM <br /> <br />EPAJs Brownfiefds Program empowers states, communities, and <br />other stakeholders in economic development to work together to <br />prevent. assess, safely clean up, and sustain ably reuse brownfields. <br />A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or <br />reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential <br />presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. On <br />January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the <br />Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfietds Revitalization Act. <br />Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to <br />eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: <br />assessment grants. revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and <br />job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state <br />and tribar response programs through a separate mechanism. <br /> <br />ASSESSMENT GRANT <br /> <br />$200,000 for hazardous substances <br />EPA has selected the Ark- Tex Council of Governments for a <br />brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds wilt be used to inventory <br />brownfields properties1 and conduct approximately ten to 15 Phase I <br />site assessments and two to three Phase II site assessments. <br />Funds also will be used to perform health monitoring activities in <br />neighborhoods surrounding the sites, conduct community outreach <br />activities, and launch a web site with project information and status <br />reports. <br /> <br />COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The Ark- Tex Council of Governments was selected to receive a <br />brownfields assessment grant. Thè Council serves ten mostly rural <br />counties1 nine in Texas and one in Arkansas. The cìtìes in this <br />region developed around railroads that supported industries, <br />including timber and agriculture. These industries have since left, <br />and the region has suffered from a lack of new investment. The <br />region has a population of 311.562, and suffers from a higher <br />unemployment rate, higher poverty rate, and lower per capita <br />income than the state and national averages. Thera are more than <br /> <br />2of3 <br /> <br />5/23/2005 9:25 AM <br /> <br />I <br />