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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

          Oshkosh,   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 Oshkosh was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located along the Fox
River on the western edge of Lake Winnebago, the
City of Oshkosh (population 62,916) has had a long
industrial history, beginning in the late 1800s with the
lumber industry. A large industrial base was soon
established to support the lumber industry, including
foundries, logging tool and finished wood products
manufacturers, and railroad and river boat transporta-
tion. The logging industry came to a halt in the mid-
19008, and many of the support businesses slowly
closed throughout the mid- and late 1900s. This
downturn left behind numerous blighted and underused
industrial properties. Many of the city's brownfields are
located along the Fox River and in the central city area,
where more than 60  percent of residents earn low-to-
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Oshkosh for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to conduct six to
 eight Phase I and five to 10 Phase II environmental
 site assessments and to support community out-
 reach 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 Oshkosh, WI
 920-236-5055

 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.
moderate incomes. Brownfields assessments are
expected to help the city build on its revitalization
accomplishments and catalyze redevelopment of its
blighted former industrial sites.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-08-218
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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