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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
WestAllis, 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 West Allis was selected to receive two
brownfields cleanup grants. WestAllis (population
61,254) is afirst-ring industrial suburb of Milwaukee.
Since 1979, the city has lost thousands of residents and
manufacturing jobs. Between 1979 and 1989, the
average wage in the city dropped by 25 percent. The
city's unemployment rate is higher than the state's, and
its per capita income is lower than the state and
national averages. The decline in manufacturing
industries has left the city with a large corridor of
blighted and environmentally impacted sites. At least
372 brownfields occupying 942 acres have been
identified in WestAllis. Both the 700 Properties site
and the former Pressed Steel Tank site are in the Six
Points Crossing neighborhood, one of the city's priority
redevelopment areas. When the sites are cleaned up,
Cleanup Grants
$400,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of West Allis for two
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the 700
Properties site on the southwest corner of 66th
Street and National Avenue. The 5.8-acre site was
formerly used for steel finishing and fabricating,
concrete production, and several other industrial
processes. Grant funds also will be used to clean
up the former Pressed Steel Tank site at 1445
South 66th Street. The site was the oldest manu-
facturing facility in the city and has been used to
manufacture military mines, depth charges, and
torpedo components. Soil and groundwater at both
sites are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, metals, and volatile organic com-
pounds. Grant funds also will be used to conduct
cleanup planning and 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 West Allis, WI
414-302-8468
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.
the city plans to redevelop them with residential,
commercial, and retail space, and underground parking.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-08-146
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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