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  Brownfields 2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

   Calhoun  County,  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

Calhoun County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Located in south-central Michigan,
Calhoun County (population 137,985) contains 19
townships, four cities, and four villages. The county's
economy historically was based primarily on manufac-
turing. However, between 1980 and 1990, manufactur-
ing employment dropped nearly 22 percent because of
plant closures. These closures have resulted in a
population decline and left behind many abandoned
buildings, factories, and vacant lots with potential
environmental contamination. The county's unemploy-
ment rate is higher than the national average, and its
poverty rate exceeds the statewide rate. Brownfields
are community eyesores and represent unsafe condi-
tions for county residents. Assessment of brownfields
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected Calhoun County for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant
 funds will be used to inventory and prioritize
 petroleum-contaminated brownfields throughout the
 county for assessment. Grant funds also will be
 used to conduct about eight Phase I, five Phase II,
 and three baseline environmental site assessments.
 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: Calhoun County, MI
 269-781-9841, ext. 232

 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.
is expected to increase public awareness and commu-
nity participation in the brownfields process, and
stimulate and support redevelopment of former indus-
trial sites.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-08-106
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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