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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Akron, OH
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 Akron was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located south of
Cleveland along the Ohio and Erie Canal, Akron
(population 217,074) was the fastest growing city in
America in the early 1900s. The rubber industry
attracted people from many countries, and Akron
became known as the rubber capital of the world. B.F.
Goodrich, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company,
Firestone Tire, and 25 smaller rubber factories all were
originally located in Akron. Akron's population peaked
in the 1960s at 290,000, but has declined significantly,
especially during the 1990s. More than 17 percent of
residents live in poverty. The decline in population and
high unemployment and poverty rates are due primarily
to the loss of over 34,000 rubber manufacturing jobs
between 1970 and 1995. In 1994, parts of the city were
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Akron for two
brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to inventory and
prioritize brownfields, and conduct between five
and eight Phase I and five Phase II environmental
site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
conduct 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 Akron, OH
330-375-2494
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.
designated a federal Enterprise Community. It is
within and adjacent to this Enterprise Community that
the city plans to target its assessment funds. Assess-
ment of brownfields is expected to spur redevelop-
ment in the city's downtown area, the Erie National
Heritage Canal Corridor, and the 600-acre Goodyear
Company project area.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-08-127
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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