Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

Heartland Regional Community Foundation, St. Joseph, MO

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.

CLEANUP GRANT

$200,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the Heartland Regional Community Foundation for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up hazardous substances contamination at the former St. Joseph Light & Power Co. site, which was used as a vehicle maintenance, storage, and distribution facility. Environmental concerns at the site include total petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, asbestos-containing materials, and lead-based paint. Funds will be used for remediation, development of health and safety plans, and community outreach and engagement activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Heartland Regional Community Foundation was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. St. Joseph (population 73,990) depends on a predominantly rural economy. The unemployment rate in St. Joseph is 5.2 percent, and the city's median household income in 1999 was 16 percent below the national average. Barriers to community growth include geographic isolation, sparse population in some locations, limited job opportunities, and an inadequate supply of trained workers. Once cleaned up, the site will become the location for the "emPower Plant," an experiential youth leadership development program facility that will have the capacity to reach up to 15,000 young people per year. The grant also is expected to encourage further investment in the area.

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 7 Brownfields Team
913-551-7786
http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/brownfields/index.htm

Grant Recipient: Heartland Regional Community Foundation, MO
816-271-7200

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