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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Elkhart, IN
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 Elkhart was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in northern Indiana,
Elkhart (population 51,874) has been recognized as a
leader in the manufacturing of recreational vehicles,
band instruments, and pharmaceuticals. Almost 30
percent of the city's residents are minorities, and 11.1
percent of families live below the poverty level.
Although Elkhart is a small city, it has at least 80
brownfields. During recent decades, environmental
issues slowed inner-city property transactions, which
led to a major shift toward rural redevelopment and left
the city with many abandoned or underused industrial
properties and buildings. These properties have contrib-
uted to neighborhood blight and economic strains on the
community. The Elkhart Foundry property is the last
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Elkhart for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the Elkhart
Foundry and Machine Company property at 318
South Elkhart Avenue. The seven-acre site housed
iron foundry operations from 1896 to 2004, and is
contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocar-
bons and metals. Grant funds also will be used to
conduct community outreach activities.
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 Elkhart, IN
574-294-5471
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.
major brownfield in the Downtown RiverWalk Com-
mons Redevelopment area. When it is cleaned up, the
city plans to redevelop it for residential and commercial
use, and for an extension of the RiverWalk. This
redevelopment is expected to generate tax revenues
and bring additional commerce to the downtown area
of the city.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-097
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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