I 'O UJ O Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet Housing Authority of the City of East St. Louis, 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 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 Housing Authority of the City of East St. Louis was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The City of East St. Louis (population 31,542) is a federally designated Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community along the Mississippi River. The riverfront area, covering more than 1,000 acres, was historically used by manufacturers and other industrial enterprises who depended on access to the river to receive raw materials and transport finished products. The railroads also operated transportation and logistic centers throughout the riverfront area. Since 1950, the manu- facturing and industrial operations have contracted, and Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Housing Authority of the City of East St. Louis for a brownfields assess- ment grant. Grant funds will be used to conduct public outreach activities and perform Phase I and Phase II site assessments on riverfront parcels along the Mississippi River. These activities will contribute to the city's master plan to revitalize the East St. Louis riverfront. 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: Housing Authority of the City of East St. Louis, IL 618-646-7101 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. the city has experienced a corresponding economic decline. Over the past 30 years, the population of East St. Louis has decreased by more than 50 percent. More than 35 percent of its residents live in poverty, and the median income is less than half the state median. More than 97 percent of the population is African-American. Cleanup and redevelopment of the abandoned riverfront area will generate tax revenues and new job opportunities. Redevelopment also will enhance the quality of life for city residents by creating, for the first time in this community, a recreational area along the Mississippi River. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-04-060 June 2004 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |