Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet

Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, WV

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 GRANT

$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct community involvement activities, identify sites, perform at least five Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments, and prepare cleanup plans for mine-scarred areas in the Wyoming County portion of the Upper Guyandotte Watershed.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Wyoming County Economic Development Authority was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located in southern West Virginia, Wyoming County (population 24,698) was once a thriving community with an economy based on coal mining. The decline of coal mining and other industrial jobs in the county has had major economic and environmental impacts on the community. Since 1950, the region has lost 34 percent of its population. The average household income level is far below state and national averages, and the poverty rate is approximately 23 percent. Coal refuse "gob piles" dot the county, and vegetation cannot be re-established in areas impacted by acid mine drainage and other contaminants. There are 130 documented abandoned mine lands in the watershed area, and more than 160 miles of streams in the area watershed are listed as impaired by metals from polluted mine drainage. Assessment and eventual cleanup of brownfields sites will help address the environmental and human health threats posed by these properties. The county plans to redevelop mine-scarred lands into marketable properties that will attract new businesses and investments to the area, generate jobs, and enhance the quality of life in the Wyoming County region.

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 3 Brownfields Team
215-814-3129
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm

Grant Recipient: Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, WV
304-732-6707

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