Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

Spokane, 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, 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 hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Spokane for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to conduct Phase I and II site assessments and support community outreach activities in the University District. Funds also will be used to develop a cleanup and reuse plan for at least one site.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Spokane was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Within the city (population 197,400), the target community is the University District, home to four higher education institutions. The University District is located in a former industrial portion of the city, where past industrial uses included railroad maintenance, brewery operations, coal tar processing and distribution, auto wrecking, and manufacturing using bulk materials brought by the railroads. The area was also used to store municipal waste and incinerator ash. Development in the district has been stymied by the legacy of commercial and industrial activities, the exodus of activities to other areas of the city, and the vast majority of vacant or poorly-used lots. The target area includes 11,815 residents, of whom 22.6 percent are minorities. More than 30 percent of families with children in this area live in poverty, and the unemployment rate is 11.3 percent. The target district is included in a Master Plan to redevelop the area with mixed-uses that include affordable housing for students, junior faculty, and families. Development also will create jobs, add to the tax base, and provide amenities, including shopping and community gathering areas.

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 10 Brownfields Team
206-553-2100
http://www.epa.gov/r10earth, click on "Superfund", scroll down and click on "Brownfields"

Grant Recipient: City of Spokane, WA
509-625-6760

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