Brownfields Training, Research,
and Technical Assistance Grant
Fact Sheet

National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, tribes, 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. EPA funds eligible applicants through assistance agreements to provide training, research, and technical assistance to facilitate brownfields revitalization.

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

The Groundwork USA Initiative is a pilot program of the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program in cooperation with EPA Brownfields Program. NPS provides the technical assistance to individual Groundwork Trusts in partnership with Groundwork USA, a national nonprofit. NPS also awards financial assistance to successful Groundwork Trusts and administers assistance agreements with them. The EPA provides NPS with funds for this program under an Interagency Agreement (IAG). The Groundwork Trust Initiative, started by NPS in 1996, builds the capacity of communities impacted by brownfields to improve their environment for conservation, recreation, and economic development by supporting the establishment of locally organized and controlled Groundwork Trust organizations. The Groundwork USA network is a partnership of independent, not-for-profit, environmental organizations that work with communities to improve their environment, economy, and quality of life.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GROUNDWORK TRUST INITIATIVE

Grantee
National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program

Project Focus:
Training and Technical Assistance Interagency Agreement for Groundwork Trust

Project Period:
October 2005 to June 2009

Project Description:
EPA works with NPS through an interagency agreement (IAG) to support brownfields revitalization in economically distressed communities. The scope of the work includes evaluating, planning, and establishing one new Groundwork Trust in a selected brownfield community, and building the capacity of existing Groundwork Trusts. Specifically, it will provide support for the continued establishment of the Groundwork Trust in New Orleans, LA, and train key Groundwork staff in brownfields work to increase the capacity and expertise of the Trusts to undertake these projects.

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: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields or call 202.566.2777.

For further information about the National Park Service and Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program and its brownfields training and technical assistance activities, visit http://www.nps.gov/rtca or call 202.354.6900.

For additional information on Groundwork USA and their brownfields training and technical assistance activities visit http://www.groundworkusa.net/.

*The information on this fact sheet is subject to change.