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  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact Sheet

        Blue Island,  IL


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 Blue Island was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located southwest of
Chicago in Cook County, Blue Island (population
23,500) was historically a transportation and industrial
center. Blue Island's poverty and unemployment rates
exceed county rates, and more than half of its residents
are minorities. The city has created an economic
development plan to revitalize its downtown. The plan
focuses on transit-oriented development around the
city's two existing Metra commuter stations. Many
historical industrial properties, suspected to be con-
taminated, are located in the development areas.
Brownfields assessment will help generate interest in
site reuse among businesses, facilitating redevelop-
ment of the sites. Redevelopment is expected to
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Blue Island for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to develop a city-
 wide brownfields inventory and to prioritize sites
 in areas targeted for transit-oriented development.
 Grant funds also will be used to conduct Phase I
 and II 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: City of Blue Island, IL
 708-396-7138

 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.
increase the number of households within walking
distance of public transit, increase business activity in
the downtown, and create a more vibrant downtown.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-07-019
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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