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  Brownfields  2008


  Grant  Fact Sheet


        Brown  County


             Planning


      Commission,   I/I//



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 Brown County Planning Commission was selected
to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located
in eastern Wisconsin, Brown County (population
244,764) was established in 1818 and includes the City
of Green Bay. The Fox River flows through the county
and has historically been used to transport goods and
provide a source of electric power. In the 1800s,
sawmills began the industrialization of the river corri-
dor. Lured by the sawmills, water power, and access to
raw lumber, paper mills then developed along the river.
Other heavy industries, including machining and tool
and die manufacturing, were established to support the
paper industry. Today, due to the perception that these
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the Brown County Planning
 Commission for two brownfields assessment
 grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be
 used to inventory potential brownfield sites in the
 county and to conduct 20 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
 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: Brown County Planning
 Commission, WI
 920-448-6480

 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.
industrial sites are polluted, they remain vacant or
underutilized. The county's population is growing and
diversifying, and 9.8 percent of residents live in
poverty. Low-to-moderate income households are
close to many of the county's 790 known
brownfields. Assessment of the county's brownfields
will clarify environmental concerns and is expected
to be the first step in the county's efforts to redevelop
downtown, commercial, and Fox River properties.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-08-143
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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