United States
                   Environmental
                   Protection Agency
                   Washington, D.C.  20460
 Solid Waste
 and Emergency
 Response (5101)
 EPA 500-F-00-110
 May 2000
 www.epa.gov/brownfields/
  \>EPA  Brownfields  Assessment
                  Demonstration  Pilot
                                                    Oakland County, Ml
 Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
                   Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states,
tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue  to seek new methods
to promote a  unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup,  and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND

EPA  has selected Oakland  County  for a
Brownfields  Pilot.   Oakland County was  also
selected to  receive additional  funding  for
assessments at Brownfields properties to be used
for greenspace purposes.   Oakland County
(population 1,225,000) is located northwest of
Detroit and comprises 61 cities, townships, and
villages within its 900 square miles. More than 26
percent  of the  county's residents have low to
moderate incomes, with poverty rates in certain
areas between 12 percent and 27 percent. Although,
automotive production and other heavy industries
historically dominated the economy, today Oakland
County is also home to agrowing high-tech industry.
However, the years of industrial production and
farming have  yielded numerous brownfields
throughout the  county.  Aging urban corridors,
environmental contamination, and failure to utilize
the existing built infrastructure all contribute to
their abundance.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
  Oakland County, Ml
Date of Announcement:
May 2000

Amount: $200,000
Greenspace: $50,000

Profile: The Pilot focuses on
using brownfields redevelopment
to restorevacantorunderutilized
properties to productive use,
promote economicgrowth, and
protect natural resources
throughout Oakland County.
Contacts:
Oa kland County, [
(248)858-1352
 Regional Brownfields Team
 U.S. EPA-Region 5
 (312)353-3161
     Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at:
        http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/

   Forfurther information, including specific Pilot contacts,
 additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
 publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
         http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/


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OBJECTIVES

The Pilot's obj active is to promote the redevelopment
of brownfields throughout the county in an effort to
fostereconomic growth and protect natural resources.
Through site assessments, the creation of advisory
groups, and the involvement of the community to
supportbrownfields redevelopment, the Pilot willhelp
return vacant and underutilized properties to public
and  private  uses.   In turn, this will conserve
undeveloped land, create jobs, expand the county's
tax base, and leverage additional funds for future
brownfields redevelopment. Ultimately, communities
will be empowered to  restore their  previously
developed and underutilized land to productive use. In
addition, the Pilot will use greenspace funding for
planning and assessment purposes to  restore the
Clinton River in the City of Pontiac.  The site is
currently a parking lot but will be redeveloped into an
open-air channel for the river.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this  Pilot include:

• Establishing a Brownfields Advisory Board from
 municipalities  with   existing  Brownfield
 Redevelopment Authorities (BRA) and encouraging
 other municipalities to establish BRAs;

• Identifying brownfields sites within Oakland County
 for assessment;

• Performing Phase  I and Phase II site assessments
 and baseline environmental assessments;

• Conducting community outreach activities; and

• Carrying out Phase I and II site assessments at the
 Clinton River site for redevelopment  into  a
 greenspace use.

The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot                                               Oakland County, Ml
 May 2000                                                                         EPA 500-F-OO-110

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