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Brownfields 2007
Grant Fact Sheet
Clare County, Ml
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 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
Clare County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Clare County (population 31,653) is
a rural community in the historically industrial and
recreational region of north-central Michigan. The
county has not experienced the population growth of
other northern Michigan areas, and the closure or
downsizing of its industrial base during the past 25
years has left numerous vacant and underused proper-
ties and high unemployment. In 1999, the county was
designated a federal Enterprise Community. The
county's unemployment rate is 9.3 percent, well above
state and national averages, and the median income is
65 percent of the state average. Many residents have
jobs that serve the typically lower-paying tourism
industry while others commute to jobs in other coun-
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Clare County for a brownfields
assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be
used to perform community outreach activities,
inventory and prioritize sites, and conduct up to
20 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site
assessments.
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: Clare County, MI
989-539-2510
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.
ties. Brownfields redevelopment will advance the
county's plan to improve employment, expand afford-
able housing opportunities, encourage private reinvest-
ment in the community, increase the tax base, and
preserve open space essential to tourism.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-07-031
May 2007
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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