From early on, the Texarkana Brownfield Program has worked closely with property and business owners to identify potential Brownfield properties for inclusion in the program. The city is looking forward to providing community forums where plans for redevelopment will be described and community members will suggest properties for consideration.
EPA Grants
In August, 2010, the EPA selected the City of Texarkana for two Brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. Grants funds for both hazardous substances and petroleum will be used to generate an inventory of sites, support community outreach activities, conduct health monitoring, and develop cleanup plans. The city is targeting the downtown area, the 7th Street corridor and the adjacent Rose Hill community for assessments.
Additional Grants
The city is currently applying for additional federal grant money that will provide technical and financial assistance to cleanup Brownfields in these areas, which will promote revitalization. We are also applying for grant funding for a job training program to provide environmental job training programs focused on hazardous and solid waste management, assessment and cleanup associated activities.