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 Brownfields  2005
  Grant  Fact  Sheet
Stephenson  County,  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, 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

Stephenson County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in northwest
Illinois, Stephenson County has a population of 48,979,
with approximately 31 percent of the population residing
in rural and agricultural areas. Historically, mills, coal
yards, stockyards, and grain elevators dominated
commerce throughout the county. These facilities were
located in small communities each of which had a bulk
petroleum plant and at least one filling station. Since
these small municipalities lost their factories and busi-
nesses to larger communities in the county, the aban-
doned factories, commercial enterprises, gas stations,
and petroleum plants in the rural parts of the county
have been virtually ignored for redevelopment. They
pose potential threats to the environment and to the
   Assessment Grant
   $200,000 for hazardous substances
   $200,000 for petroleum
   EPA has selected Stephenson County for two
   brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
   stances grant funds will be used for site inventory
   and prioritization, Phase I and II site assessments,
   and site remediation planning. Funds also will be
   used for community outreach and health and safety
   planning. Petroleum funds will be used to perform
   the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum
   contamination. The county has identified three
   target areas for this work: Lancaster Township,
   rural Lena, and the Stephenson County Economic
   Development Project Area.
   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/R5 Brownfields/
   Grant Recipient: Stephenson County, IL
   815-235-7643

   The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
   yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
   in this fact sheet are subject to change.
health and safety of the communities. Unemployment
throughout the county is higher than the state and federal
rates, and median household income is consistently
lower than the state and federal medians. Brownfield
properties will be transformed into marketable assets,
spurring much-needed development in the disenfran-
chised portions of the county. Redevelopment will
increase the tax base and employment opportunities,
conserve greenspace, and protect the agricultural
environment of the county.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-05-185
                         May 2005
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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