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What is a Hazardous Substance Research Center? |
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"A national organization that carries out an active program of basic and applied research, technology transfer, and training. Activities are conducted regionally by five multi-university centers, which focus on different aspects of hazardous substance management. These centers bring together researchers from a variety of disciplines to collaborate on integrated research projects, which involve practical problems of hazardous substance management as well as long-term, exploratory research. The HSRC draws financial support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense, with additional funding from academia, industry, and other state and federal government agencies." Copyright © Georgia Tech Research
Corporation, 2002. |
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Established by CERCLA act of 1980 that provides a Federal "Superfund" to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. Through the act, EPA was given power to seek out those parties responsible for any release and assure their cooperation in the clean up. (EPA Superfund) |
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Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields can be located in urban, suburban, and rural areas. EPA's Brownfields Initiative is an organized commitment to help communities revitalize such properties both environmentally and economically, mitigate potential health risks, and restore economic vitality to areas where Brownfields exist. The most recent legislation regarding Brownfields is The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfield's Revitalization Act (H.R.2869) signed 1/11/2002. |
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Technical Outreach Services for Communities uses university educational and technical resources to help community groups understand the technical issues involving the hazardous waste sites in their midst. TOSC aims to empower communities to participate substantively in the decision-making process regarding their hazardous substance problems. Services include:
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Technical Assistance for Brownfields helps communities to clean and redevelop properties that have been damaged or undervalued by environmental contamination. The purpose of these efforts is to create better jobs, increase the local tax base, improve neighborhood environments, and enhance the overall quality of life. The main audiences for TAB assistance are community groups, municipal officials, developers, and leaders with lending institutions constituting a secondary audience. Educational activities include:
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What are Phase I, II, and III Site Assessments? (Envirotools.org) |
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Phase I |
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Phase II |
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Phase III |
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According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry the following are the top 10 problematic contaminants: (Click on the Fact sheet for ATSDR's information and the PDF for a slide presentation on the toxic)
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| A variety of funding sources are available to communities for clean up and redevelopment of sites including: | |
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Public/Private Funding |
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| Federal Funding | |
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Private Funding |
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Contact the center at 410-516-7091 Please have available:
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Non-governmental Resources |
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Federal Government |
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Regional |
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States |
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