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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Oakland County, Ml
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
Oakland County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Oakland County
(population 1,194,15 6) is located in southeastern
Michigan, northwest of Detroit. It encompasses nearly
908 square miles of urban, suburban, and rural land.
The area's long manufacturing history has left Oakland
County with many abandoned, contaminated commer-
cial and industrial sites, including 70 closed landfills that
served the Detroit industrial economy and more than
900 leaking underground storage tanks. Several of the
distressed communities impacted by these conditions,
especially the City of Pontiac and the South End
communities, have high unemployment, declining
general populations, and increasing minority popula-
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Oakland County for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous
substances funds will be used to support commu-
nity outreach activities; inventory and select sites;
and conduct Phase I, Phase II, and baseline
environmental assessments on a community-wide
basis. Petroleum funds will be used to support
community outreach activities, inventory and
develop a comprehensive database of abandoned
sites that are presumed to be impacted by leaking
underground storage tanks or other petroleum-
related product releases, conduct Phase I and II
environmental site assessments, and prepare
baseline environmental assessments for proposed
redevelopment.
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: Oakland County, MI
248-858-8073
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
tions. These older urban core communities are espe-
cially affected by the concentrated industrial activity
and contamination. Oakland County also is at the
headwaters of five rivers and 1,400 natural lakes and
waterways. Water quality and the reduction of runoff
and groundwater contamination are major concerns for
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-05-189
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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the area, especially in light of the number of homes that
rely on private water systems. Assessment and
cleanup of the brownfields will allow the county to
expand and continue its efforts to assist, encourage,
and facilitate the redevelopment of these sites to meet
the needs of its residents.
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