Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet

Gloucester City, NJ

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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.

CLEANUP GRANTS

$400,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected Gloucester City for two cleanup grants totaling $400,000. The cleanup grants will be used for cleanup activities at the former Rug Factory site and the former Vanguard Vinyl site, which were identified during a previous brownfields grant. The subsurface hazardous substance contamination at these sites poses a potential threat to the adjacent Delaware River.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

Gloucester City was selected to receive cleanup grants. The city has targeted two sites in the city's industrialized Southport area. The city's population of 11,484 has an unemployment rate above state and national averages. Cleanup of the Rug Factory is expected to spur economic renewal, create jobs, and revitalize the surrounding residential neighborhood. Redevelopment plans for the Vanguard Vinyl site include a mixed-use facility that will stimulate additional economic development of the waterfront. The city's Brownfield Committee will continue to involve community organizations that participated in a previous brownfields grant.

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 2 Brownfields Team
212-637-4314
http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/brownfields/

Grant Recipient: Gloucester City, NJ
856-456-7105

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, Gloucester City has received brownfields funding for an assessment grant.

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.