Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

Tampa, FL

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 petroleum

EPA has selected the City of Tampa for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to perform Phase I and II assessments of up to 12 potential brownfield properties in the seven-square-mile East Tampa study area. Funds also will be used to prioritize assessment needs, conduct environmental justice analyses, develop community outreach programs, and provide potential investors with site-specific information.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Tampa was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Of the city's 313,611 residents, about 27,151 live in East Tampa, a federally designated Enterprise Community and one of the city's most economically depressed areas. East Tampa, whose population is primarily ethnic minorities, has a poverty rate of 34 percent and an unemployment rate that is twice the city's rate. The average median household income is 65 percent of the city average. The city has initiated several projects during the past 15 years to promote the redevelopment of East Tampa. Cleanup of the area's brownfields is expected to encourage environmental justice, provide a cooperative atmosphere for attracting investment, and create new jobs.

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 4 Brownfields Team
404-562-8493
http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

Grant Recipient: Tampa, FL
813-274-7969

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