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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Ashland, Wl
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 Ashland was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Ashland (population
8,502) is located in northern Wisconsin on the shore of
Lake Superior and the southern tip of Chequamegon
Bay. In the late 1800s, Ashland was one of the largest
shipping ports on the Great Lakes, with 16 commercial
docks serving the waterfront. The city's economy was
dominated by logging industries, sawmills, and iron ore
shipping from nearby mines in Michigan and Minne-
sota. As these industries declined and mines closed in
the 1950s, Ashland's economy and population also
declined. Ashland has lower average per capita and
median household incomes and higher unemployment
and poverty rates than the state as a whole. The city's
population has decreased by a rate of five percent per
decade since 1970. The city is targeting sites along the
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Ashland for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to conduct about
eight to 12 Phase I and four to eight Phase II
environmental site assessments. Grant funds also
will be used to support community involvement
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 Ashland, WI
715-682-7002
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.
waterfront and in residential areas for assessment.
Brownfields assessments will help determine site
impacts and are expected to help the city leverage
funding for site cleanups and catalyze redevelopment.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-08-141
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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