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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Upper Explorer/and
Regional Planning
Commission,
Northeast Iowa
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 Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commis-
sion was selected to receive a brownfields assessment
grant. The Upper Explorerland Regional Planning
Commission is a regional planning agency that serves
five predominantly rural counties in northeastern Iowa
(combined population 86,603). Since 1999,15 major
businesses in this five-county area have either closed
or downsized, resulting in the loss of nearly 1,200 jobs.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Upper Explorerland Regional
Planning Commission for a brownfields assessment
grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be
used to conduct approximately 10 Phase I and five
Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant
funds also will be used to conduct community
outreach activities and health monitoring.
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 7 Brownfields Team
800-223-0425
http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/brownfields
Grant Recipient: Upper Explorerland Regional
Planning Commission, IA
563-864-7551
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.
Many of these businesses were manufacturing
operations where the use of hazardous substances
was involved in the production process. On average,
18 percent of seniors in the area live below the
poverty line. Assessment of sites in the five-county
region is expected to help break down the initial
barrier that stigmatizes brownfields and encourage
investment.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-08-219
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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