Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet

South Central Planning & Development Commission, South Central Louisiana

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders 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 GRANTS

$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the South Central Planning & Development Commission for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct an inventory of sites, and to perform ten Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct an inventory of sites, and to perform ten Phase I and two Phase II environmental site assessments. Funds also will be used for community outreach activities, including an environmental justice workshop.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The South Central Planning & Development Commission was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. The Commission's district consists of Assumption, Laforche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, and Terrebonne Parishes; the City of Thibodaux; the Towns of Golden Meadow, Gramercy, Lockport, and Lutcher; and the Village of Napoleonville. This area became home to approximately 60,000 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, increasing the area's population to 390,197. Historically, the region prospered from its abundant natural resources, rich estuaries, marine and freshwater fisheries, animal fur and hides, waterways, and oil and gas supplies. All parishes have some oil and gas activity. The unemployment rates in these communities range from 9.2 percent to 15.4 percent, and poverty rates range from 11.4 percent to 21.8 percent. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita severely impacted the six-parish region, causing chemical and oil spills, flooding homes and businesses with industrial hazardous substances, and increasing health risks. Waste storage areas are cracked, leaked, or have failed; damaged transformers may have caused oil or PCB spills; and dry chemical storage areas are water damaged. When these brownfields are assessed and eventually cleaned up, they may be used for small commercial sites, a technology center, playground, community center, farmers market, and potentially for greenspace. Brownfields redevelopment will improve economic development, encourage job development, eliminate threats to human health and the environment, and improve the quality of life in the Commission's communities.

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 6 Brownfields Team 214-665-2241 http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields

Grant Recipient: South Central Planning & Development Commission, LA
985-851-2900

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