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  Brownfields  2008


  Grant Fact Sheet


      Jackson  County


           Brownfield


      Redevelopment


         Authority,  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 Jackson County Brownfield Redevelopment
Authority was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Located in southern Michigan,
Jackson County (population 158,422) is comprised of
one city, 19 townships, and seven villages. It has been
an industrial community since the mid-1800s, serving as
a major railway hub and home to many automobile
manufacturers. Today, none of the auto manufacturers
remain in Jackson County, and many other manufactur-
ers have left. The county's unemployment rate is eight
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the Jackson County Brownfield
 Redevelopment Authority for two brownfields
 assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant
 funds will be used to perform about 12 Phase I and
 eight Phase II environmental site assessments.
 Grant funds also will be used to support community
 outreach activities. Petroleum grant funds will be
 used to conduct 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/R5 Brownfields

 Grant Recipient: Jackson County Brownfield
 Redevelopment Authority, MI
 517-788-4455

 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.
percent, and 14.8 percent of residents live below the
poverty level. Many of the county's 100 brownfields,
including those in a target community near the county
airport, are near low-income populations. Brownfields
have discouraged investment and had a negative effect
on property values. Assessment of brownfields is
expected to clarify the extent of contamination and
leverage investment in redevelopment at sites through-
out the county.
                                               Solid Waste and
                                               Emergency Response
                                               (5105T)
                       EPA560-F-08-114
                       April 2008
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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