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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Cicero, IL
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainable reuse brownfields. A brownfields 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, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
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 pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Cicero was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Cicero (population
85,616) is a high-density suburb of Chicago with a
rapidly growing, mostly minority population. Approxi-
mately 77 percent of the city's residents are Hispanic.
The unemployment rate is almost 10 percent, and 15.5
percent have incomes that are at or below the poverty
level. The three census tracts that make up the target
area (total population 25,791) are almost twice as
densely populated as the city, and the average income
is 10 percent below the city's level. There are many
underutilized and vacant properties in the target area,
and most are zoned for industrial use. The city would
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$150,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Cicero for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to conduct
community outreach activities, inventory and
prioritize brownfields sites located within the 1.2-
square-mile target area, conduct Phase I and
Phase II site assessments on selected sites, and
develop cleanup strategies for sites selected for
redevelopment. Petroleum grant funds will be
used to perform Phase I and Phase II site assess-
ments at locations known to have had under-
ground storage tanks, and to conduct remediation
planning.
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: Cicero, IL
708-656-3600, ext 448
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
like to redevelop these properties for commercial/retail,
residential, and greenspace uses that would better fit
the needs of the community.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-04-121
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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