St. Louis Development Corporation to Receive $400,000 for Assessment of Hazardous Substances and Petroleum

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

St. Louis Development Corporation to Receive $400,000 for Assessment of Hazardous Substances and Petroleum

Contact Information: Belinda Young, (913) 551-7463, young.belinda@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., May 24, 2012) - The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) has been selected to receive $400,000 in EPA brownfields funding to assess and conduct cleanup planning for hazardous substances and petroleum in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The funding is being awarded through EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup process.

SLDC will use $200,000 to conduct approximately seven Phase I and six Phase II community-wide assessments on properties potentially impacted by hazardous substances, and $200,000 for petroleum assessment for the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination. Grant funds will also be used to conduct cleanup planning and community outreach activities.

A Phase I property assessment includes a historical investigation and preliminary site inspection. A Phase II assessment is more in-depth and includes sampling activities to identify the types and concentrations of contaminants, and the areas to be cleaned.

A brownfields 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.

Since 2003, EPA has awarded more than $4,233,000 to address brownfields properties in metropolitan St. Louis, Mo.

In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants. EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four brownfields competitive grant programs; assessment grants, revolving loan funds and cleanup grants, and job training grants. Funding support is also provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.

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