Brownfields 2007 Grant Fact Sheet

Hickory, NC

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 Hickory for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct five to ten Phase I and one or two Phase II environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct four to nine Phase I and three or four Phase II environmental site assessments. Funds also will be used to generate a brownfields inventory and conduct community involvement activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Hickory was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located in central-western North Carolina, Hickory's (population 39,730) economy has been dominated by furniture manufacturing, textile mills, and fiber optic manufacturers. Since 1998, the city has lost 3,200 jobs in these sectors, and at least 36 plants and businesses have closed. There are 20 to 30 brownfields in the city that are contaminated with chemicals from the furniture and textile industries, and 30 to 40 sites contaminated with petroleum products. Many of these abandoned sites are impeding economic growth. They are surrounded primarily by low-income, minority neighborhoods. The city's poverty rate is 14.8 percent, and 23 percent of residents are minorities. When brownfields are assessed, the city will be able to leverage cleanup and redevelopment investment to create mixed-use development and greenspace. Brownfields redevelopment will create jobs, expand the local tax base, and reduce health risks to the community.

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 Hickory, NC
828-323-7422

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.