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 Brownfields  2004

 Grant  Fact  Sheet

 Illinois Department of

      Commerce and

Economic  Opportunity



 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 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, 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 Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
 Opportunity was selected to receive a brownfields
 assessment grant. The target area for this grant is the
 Northwest Illinois Economic Development Region, a
 6,430-square-mile, ten-county region with a combined
 population of 506,100. The region is a mix of metropoli-
 tan and rural areas. Two of its counties, Rock Island
 and LaSalle, account for more than half of the region's
 population and business establishments. Both have
 significant minority populations. Although manufactur-
 ing is still the single largest employment sector in the
 region, accounting for 17 percent of the workforce, the
  Assessment Grant
  $200,000 for hazardous substances

  EPA has selected the Illinois Department of
  Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a
  brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be
  used to identify, inventory, and select brownfields
  sites from within the Northwest Illinois Economic
  Development Region for further study. Funds will
  also be used to facilitate site characterization
  activities and lay the groundwork for a sustainable
  development plan.
  Contacts
  For further information, including specific grant
  contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
  news and events, and publications and links, visit
  the EPA Brownfields website at: www.epa.gov/
  brownfields.

  EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team
  312-886-7576
  http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/

  Grant Recipient: Illinois Department of
  Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  312-814-6195

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
  described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
downturn in manufacturing during the 1980s and 1990s
adversely affected the area, leaving behind many
brownfields. Assessing these sites will help the com-
munities focus their limited development resources
where the chance of success is greatest.
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                       EPA 560-F-04-230
                       June 2004
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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