Brownfields 2007 Grant Fact Sheet

Tampa, FL

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 City of Tampa for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct 15 Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments, and develop a public health monitoring plan for the East Tampa Target Area. Funds also will be used for community outreach activities. Petroleum funds will be used to perform the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Tampa was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located in central Florida on the Gulf Coast, Tampa (population 303,447) has long been a center for industrial and seaport activities. The East Tampa Target Area is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. It is a seven-square-mile enclave where 80.3 percent of residents are African-American, 33.5 percent live in poverty, and 48.8 percent have less than a high school education. Historical development patterns resulted in numerous large, underused, and potentially contaminated sites in the area. The area is home to 25 illegal dump sites. Many of these blighted properties are in close proximity to residences. Assessment will help determine the potential and actual threats to public health and groundwater. The city is working to promote redevelopment in this area that will bring affordable housing, greenspace, and commercial and industrial facilities generating permanent jobs for area residents.

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
404-562-8792
http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

Grant Recipient: City of Tampa, FL
813-274-7970

The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.