xvEPA
                      United States
                      Environmental
                      Protection Agency
                      Washington, D.C. 20460
            Solid Waste
            and Emergency
            Response (5105)
  EPA 500-F-01-041
  June 2001
  www.epa.gov/brownfields/
                    Assessment
Demonstration  Pilot
      St. Joseph/Benton  Harbor/
  Benton Charter Township,  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 selectedthe Cities of St. Joseph, Benton Harbor,
and Benton Charter Township for a Brownfields
Pilot. These communities are designated as Michigan
Renaissance Zones—tax-free redevelopment areas
created to spur economic development in distressed
or environmentally sensitive areas.  A significant
number of Benton Harbor (58 percent) and Benton
Charter  (27  percent) residents  live in  poverty.
Unemployment in Benton Harbor has exceeded 20
percent since the late  1970s,  and 75  percent of
residents live in subsidized housing.

Together these three municipalities have the highest
concentration of brownfields sites in northern Berrien
County.   The Pilot targets four  brownfields sites
located in the three communities:  the Edgewater
redevelopment area in St. Joseph, the Graham Avenue
and North of Main industrial areas  in Benton Harbor,
and the Fairplain South development area in Benton
Charter Township.  The sites were selected for their
redevelopment potential, ability to sustain long-term
growth, and potential to spur redevelopment in the
areas  surrounding them.   The  project will be
administered and coordinated by the City of St.
Joseph, supported by a local nonprofit economic
           PILOT SNAPSHOT
                              Date of Award: September 1998

                              Amount: $200,000

                              Profile: The Pilot targets four sites
                              in the tri-city area of St. Joseph,
                              Benton Harbor, and Benton Charter
                              Township for assessment, cleanup,
                              and redevelopment.
            St. Joseph/Benton Harbor/
            Benton Charter Township,
            Michigan
           Contacts:
           City of St. Joseph
           (616)983-5541
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, brown fields news and events, and
            publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
                    http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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development corporation, the Cornerstone Alliance,
andimplementedby the individual local governments.

OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of the cities' program is to
combine urban revitalization efforts and brownfields
redevelopment projects. The cities plan to incorporate
environmental  assessments,  infrastructure
improvements, and outreach activities with physical
redevelopment projects to expand the local economy
and create sustainable economic opportunities for
local residents. Pilot activities in the fourtarget areas
include conducting assessments, reviewing and
analyzing ways to retain and bolster existing
businesses, and facilitating job creation.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot is:
• Conducting community outreach activities related
 to the target areas;
• Conducting environmental assessments on the four
 targeted sites; and
• Planning  for  environmental  cleanup and
 redevelopment at the sites.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot                St. Joseph/Benton Harbor/Benton Charter Township, Michigan
June 2001                                                                         EPA500-F-01-041

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