Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

University of Washington, Tacoma, WA

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 petroleum

EPA has selected the University of Washington, Tacoma, to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up petroleum contamination at the Shaub-Ellison parcel at 1902 Pacific Avenue. The site lies within the University of Washington, Tacoma, campus boundary.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The University of Washington, Tacoma, was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Tacoma has 194,000 residents, of whom 2,462 live on the university campus. The university was established in the late 1980s to meet the higher education needs of the working and commuting population in the Puget Sound area. The entire city is a federal Renewal Community, and the campus is a National Historic District. The unemployment rate in the area near campus is 18 percent, and 72 percent of families have low incomes. Tacoma's crime rate, poverty rate, and frequency of large-scale environmental desecration are higher than the national average. Cleanup of brownfields will help meet the demand for higher education in Tacoma and continue to revitalize 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.

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: University of Washington, WA
206-616-0588

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