Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

Perry, IA

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, President George W. Bush 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 Perry for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct community outreach, including health monitoring of target area residents; perform Phase I and II environmental site assessments; and develop cleanup plans for sites in the Northwest Brownfields Area of the city.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Perry was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Perry is a small, rural central Iowa community with a population of 7,693. Although Iowa has a very small minority population, 25 percent of Perry residents are Hispanic/Latino. The per capita income in the city and in much of the target area, the Northwest Brownfields Area, is substantially lower than the state and county-wide per capita incomes. Perry's poverty rate is double the county's poverty rate. The project area has a history dating back to the early 1900s, when Perry was home to an active railroad line, which included maintenance and storage facilities. As the railroad phased out operations in the city, railroad property and adjacent areas suffered from disinvestment and economic decline. The brownfields area was left with numerous potentially problematic sites such as leaking underground storage tanks, trash dumps, scrap yards, and hazardous waste storage sites. Once these brownfields are cleaned up, the city plans to reuse the area as a historical and recreational venue for railroad hobbyists and trail enthusiasts. This redevelopment will help bolster the city's economy, which relies on tourism and related recreational activities.

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
913-551-7646
http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/brownfields/index.htm

Grant Recipient: City of Perry, IA
515-465-2481

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