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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Calumet City, 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 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
The City of Calumet City was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located next to the
south side of Chicago, Calumet City (population
39,071) shares the heavy industrial history of the
region, as well as the blight resulting from the loss of
this industrial base. The city's per capita income is
$18,123, and 12.2 percent of residents live below the
poverty level. More than half of city residents are
minorities. The city established a 100-acre Redevelop-
ment Project Area to assist in redeveloping its deterio-
rated industrial area, where brownfields efforts will
focus. Within the Redevelopment Project Area, the
unemployment rate is 18 percent, and 70 percent of
households live in poverty. The city experienced
deterioration of its older neighborhoods during the
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Calumet City for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to update the city's
brownfields inventory, prioritize sites, and conduct
four Phase I and Phase II environmental site
assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
support community outreach activities. Petroleum
grant funds will be used to perform the same tasks
at sites with potential petroleum contamination.
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 Calumet City, IL
708-891-8141
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.
1990s. Today, more than half the parcels in the city are
either owned by the city or are tax-delinquent, boarded
up, or vacant. The city has identified about 12 petro-
leum brownfields, including former gas stations.
Assessment of brownfields will clarify environmental
issues and is expected to catalyze redevelopment of
the properties within the Redevelopment Project Area.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-093
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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