Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet

Trenton, 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.

ASSESSMENT GRANT

$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Trenton for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to conduct assessment activities at high-priority sites contaminated with petroleum and hazardous substances throughout the city. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach and purchase environmental insurance. Petroleum assessment funds will be used to complete an inventory of abandoned gas stations in the city.

CLEANUP GRANT

$800,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Trenton for four brownfields cleanup grants totaling $800,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct cleanup activities at the Freight Yards at 163 North Olden Avenue (contaminated with metals and PCBs), the Magic Marker site (contaminated with lead co-mingled with petroleum), the African American Cemetery and adjacent site (contaminated with metals and PCBs co-mingled with petroleum), and Hanover Place (contaminated with lead co-mingled with petroleum).

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Trenton was selected to receive assessment and cleanup grants. The city's rich industrial heritage has left a legacy of numerous abandoned buildings and contaminated property surrounded by densely populated, low-income, and primarily minority neighborhoods. Trenton has a population of approximately 85,400. Seventy percent of Trenton's residents are minorities and 21 percent live in poverty. To finance past environmental assessments of city-owned brownfields, Trenton relied on the New Jersey Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund. This funding source has disappeared, and Trenton has a large backlog of petroleum and hazardous substance sites awaiting environmental assessment. The city believes strongly in community involvement in decision making and will continue seeking and encouraging community input as it completes site assessments and proceeds with site cleanup and redevelopment.

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: City of Trenton, NJ
609-989-3509

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City of Trenton has received brownfields funding for assessment, revolving loan fund, and Showcase Community grants.

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