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. The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2018, was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through five competitive grant programs: Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, Cleanup Grants, and Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
$300,000
EPA has selected the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to inventory and prioritize sites and conduct up to 11 Phase I and up to 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup plans and support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on Pago Pago Harbor, which is located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone. Priority sites include the Rainmaker Hotel site, the Aua Fuel Farm, the Pago Pago Village Hall, the Pago Pago Elementary School, and the Gataivai Fuel Tanks site.