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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Allegan, 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 this 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 programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Allegan was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located along the
Kalamazoo River in southwestern Michigan, the three
small Cities of Allegan, Otsego, and Plainwell (com-
bined population 12,704) each have been impacted by
the loss of large manufacturing facilities and supporting
industrial and commercial businesses. These losses
have resulted in the creation of 25 brownfields with
known contamination and 40 to 50 brownfields with
potential contamination. The sites are concentrated
along the Kalamazoo River and in the downtown city
areas. Downsized governments and budgets have
prevented the cities from addressing brownfields. Since
1988, with the closing of three large manufacturers, the
cities have lost more than 1,500 jobs. Each city's
median household income is below the statewide
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Allegan for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to prepare and
maintain a brownfields inventory and prioritize sites
for assessment. Grant funds also will be used to
conduct about 11 Phase I, six Phase II, and five
baseline environmental site assessments, and to
support community outreach activities in the Cities
of Allegan, Otsego, and Plainwell.
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: City of Allegan, MI
269-686-1113
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.
average, and current unemployment rates are well
above the national average. Brownfields assessment is
expected to provide site information needed to attract
developers to the area. This effort will complement
other ongoing efforts to clean up the Kalamazoo River.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-08-104
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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