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Brownfields 2006
Grant Fact Sheet
Akron, OH
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
The City of Akron was selected to receive a brown-
fields cleanup grant. Akron (population 212,179) was
founded as a canal town on the Ohio and Erie Canal.
As railroads replaced the canal system, Akron became
the heart of the rubber industry in America and the
rubber capital of the world. B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear
Tire and Rubber, Firestone Tire, and General Tire all
were originally located in Akron. Between 1970 and
1995, Akron lost over 34,000 rubber-manufacturing
jobs. Nearly 31 percent of Akron's residents are
minorities, and 17.5 percent live below the poverty
level. Since only two percent of city land is undevel-
oped, Akron will need to reuse the brownfields sites
left behind by its older industries in order to retain and
expand its industrial and economic base. These sites
pose a threat to human health and to the ecology of the
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Akron for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to conduct outreach
activities, develop cleanup plans, and perform
above-ground and subsurface cleanup and post-
cleanup monitoring at the former Imperial
Electric Company property at 84 Ira Avenue.
From 1891 to 1999, the now vacant site was used
to manufacture electric motors. Contaminants of
concern include petroleum products and heavy
metals.
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: City of Akron, OH
330-375-2494
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Ohio and Erie Canal. The Imperial Electric site, targeted
for cleanup, is a contaminated site with condemned
structures that impact the economically distressed
neighborhood that surrounds it. Cleanup of the site will
remove the threat of contamination to area soil and
groundwater, thereby increasing the value of surround-
ing properties. The city believes that, once cleaned up,
this site can be redeveloped into a 40,000-square-foot
manufacturing facility that will generate up to 50 new
jobs. Redevelopment of the Imperial site also will make
an adjacent eight-acre property more attractive to
developers.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-06-126
May 2006
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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