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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Freeport, IL
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield 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. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Freeport was selected to receive two
brownfields cleanup grants. Located in northern
Illinois, the City of Freeport (population 26,433) is a
small community with a historically industrial-based
economy. It has been hard-hit by economic downturns
in manufacturing and has a higher unemployment rate
than the state or national averages. There are at least
88 brownfields in the city. The cleanup sites are within
the two-block Rawleigh Complex, part of a 14-block
area in the downtown known as the Rawleigh Corri-
dor. In the neighborhoods near the complex, 33
percent of residents are minorities, and the family
poverty rate is 17.5 percent. The 400,000-square-foot
vacant Rawleigh Complex is at the heart of the city's
redevelopment efforts. When the Spring Street site is
cleaned up, the city plans to reuse it as a parking area
Cleanup Grants
$400,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Freeport for two
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the Rawleigh
Complex Spring Street site, which is composed of
three adjacent parcels at South Liberty Avenue,
219-229 East Spring Street, and 201 South Adams
Avenue. These parcels were used as a trolley repair
facility and bam, agricultural implement manufac-
turing facilities, and coal and lumber yards. They
are contaminated with hazardous substances,
including semi-volatile organic compounds and
polynuclear aromatics. Grant funds also will be
used to clean up the Rawleigh Complex Power-
house site at 123 South Adams Avenue, which is
contaminated with hazardous substances. The site
has a manufacturing and railroad history dating
back to 1912. Grant funds also will be used to
support community involvement activities.
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: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team
312-886-7576
http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields
Grant Recipient: City of Freeport, IL
815-235-8221
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
to serve the Rawleigh Complex. In later redevelop-
ment phases, the site is designated for commercial
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-253
July 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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redevelopment. When the Powerhouse site is cleaned
up, the city plans to redevelop it as a restaurant to take
advantage of its unique architectural space. This
redevelopment is expected to be a major step forward
in the city's Rawleigh Complex redevelopment project.
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