Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

Astoria, OR

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, the President 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

EPA has selected the City of Astoria for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to complete an environmental risk assessment and feasibility study at a five-acre former gasification plant located on the city's industrial waterfront. Additional funds will be used to create a master plan focused on redevelopment possibilities for the site.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Astoria was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Astoria is a small, rural community located at the mouth of the Columbia River, 100 miles west of Portland. Historically, the city's industrial and commercial development has been concentrated on level ground adjacent to the waterfront. Therefore, brownfields in Astoria are predominantly waterfront sites. Because of the short supply of appropriate land for commercial and industrial development, brownfields have a strong negative impact on the local economy. The site targeted by this assessment grant is on the waterfront, adjacent to the city's most ethnically diverse and economically distressed neighborhood. The city's population of 9,813 is declining. The unemployment rate reached 6.3 percent in 2001. The target site has significant redevelopment potential and, once returned to productive use, will result in an increase in jobs, a larger tax base for the community, and reduced environmental hazards for the neighborhood.

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 10 Brownfields Team
206-553-2100
www.epa.gov/r10earth, click on "Superfund,"scroll down to "Related Programs" and click on "Brownfields"

Grant Recipient: Astoria, OR
503-338-5183

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