5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Grand Rapids, 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 The City of Grand Rapids was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located in western Michigan, Grand Rapids (population 193,083) is the second largest city in the state. Though the city's industrial sector experienced rapid growth during the mid-19th and early 20th Centuries, industry began to decline in the 1970s. Within the last decade, 15,000 jobs have been lost, and the unemployment rate has climbed to 9.2 percent. About 23 percent of the population lives in poverty. This economic downturn has left behind numerous abandoned and uncharacterized brownfields, concentrated in neighborhoods with many low-income and minority residents. The city plans to use hazardous substances grant funds to assess brownfields in these neighborhoods, and to focus use of petroleum grant funds on sites in the GrandWalk project area, a pre- Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Grand Rapids for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub- stances grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct up to 15 Phase I and 10 Phase II environ- mental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support 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 Grand Rapids, MI 616-456-3431 (hazardous substances) 616-456-3681 (petroleum) 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. dominately industrial and commercial area in the northwest portion of the city. Brownfields assessments will help identify environmental threats and are ex- pected to help the city promote redevelopment. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-08-111 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |