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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Waterloo, IA
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, 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
The City of Waterloo was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant and a cleanup grant.
Waterloo (population 68,747), once known as the
"Factory City of Iowa," has experienced a ten percent
population decline since 1980. When John Deere, the
city's largest employer, downsized its workforce by
10,000, the entire city was impacted. At the same time,
several other large employers ceased operations. Many
of the commercial and industrial buildings in the Rath
Neighborhood area, targeted for assessment and
cleanup, are the legacy of the decline in industrial
manufacturing and agricultural operations. The popula-
tions in the neighborhoods surrounding these sites are
characterized by higher poverty rates, lower incomes,
Assessment Grant
$50,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Waterloo for a
brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be
used to conduct community outreach activities,
perform Phase I and II environmental site assess-
ments, develop cleanup plans, and monitor risks to
sensitive populations at the former Chamberlain
Manufacturing Complex. Potential soil and
groundwater contamination is suspected based on
the historical use of the site for metals and
ammunition manufacturing from the early 1900s
to 1980.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Waterloo for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be
used to promote community involvement and plan
and conduct cleanup at the Construction Machin-
ery Company (CMC) site at 625 Glenwood
Street. The CMC site has a history of manufac-
turing uses associated with the risk of generating
potentially serious contaminants dating back to the
early 1900s. Previous assessments have identified
a variety of releases, including benzo(a)pyrene,
arsenic, lead, and tetrachloroethene, at areas of
concern around the property.
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 7 Brownfields Team
913-551-7646
http://www.epa.gov/Region7/citizens/brownfields/
index.htm
Grant Recipient: City of Waterloo, IA
319-291-4366
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-05-120
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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and a higher percentage of minorities than the state.
Many residents are underemployed, earning less than is
necessary to bring their families above the poverty
level. The brownfields have driven some companies to
relocate to greenfields, thereby contributing to urban
sprawl and consuming farmland in a state that relies
heavily on the agricultural sector. Assessment, cleanup,
and redevelopment of the sites in the target area will
remove environmental hazards, improve the aesthetics
of the neighborhood, prevent further sprawl, and create
better-paying employment opportunities for area
residents.
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet
been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this
fact sheet are subject to change.
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