Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

Pulaski County, AR

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
$146,500 for petroleum

EPA has selected Pulaski County for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will both be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II site assessments, cleanup planning, and outreach in a traditionally industrial area within the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock along the Arkansas River. Once cleaned up, this area will be redeveloped to accommodate tourism and convention activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

Pulaski County was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Pulaski County's population of 365,442 is more than 59 percent minority. Almost 34 percent of its residents live in poverty. The targeted areas of Little Rock and North Little Rock are located in a federally designated Empowerment Zone. Together, these areas have a population of 237,536, and most residents are low-income African-Americans. The properties to be assessed under this grant are expected to be redeveloped to accommodate new convention and tourism attractions and other commercial facilities. This target area represents the most significant reinvestment region in central Arkansas.

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 6 Brownfields Team
214-665-2180
http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields

Grant Recipient: Pulaski County, AR
501-340-6157

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