United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-00-161
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
<>EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
Rockford, IL
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
PILOT SNAPSHOT
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders
in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for
redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two
years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup
of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund
programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup
of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful
information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment,
environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
Rockford, Illinois has a strong manufacturing history.
Since the mid-1960s, however, manufacturers have
been relocating to the southern United States and
overseas. Manufacturing giants have seen their
workforce decrease. Barber Colman, for instance, has
seen its workforce decrease from a high of 6,000
employees to fewer than 100 today. During the early
20th century, more than 60 percent of Rockford's
population was employed in the manufacturing sector;
this figure dropped to less than 30 percent by 1990.
The manufacturing exodus has brought about hundreds
of acres of abandoned sites. Rockford's BCRLF will
target the City' s Enterprise Zone (EZ), which lost 1,000
jobs in the latter half of 1999. The EZ contains
approximately 227 acres of brownfields, with over one
million square feet of industrial and commercial space.
The City was designated a Brownfields Assessment
Pilot and is currently assessing various sites for
redevelopment.
BCRLF OBJECTIVES
Rockford's BCRLF will be designed to address the
simultaneous development of programs to coordinate
finance, marketing, planning, and review. A further
objective will be to develop strategies to assist
Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area: City of
Rockford's Enterprise Zone
Rockford, Illinois
Contacts:
Community Development
Department
(815)987-5600
Region 5 BCRLF
Coordinator
(312)886-7576
Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at:
www.epa.gov/region05/waste/brown/index.htm
For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional
Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications
and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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existing businesses economic and environmental
needs, reestablish business in the City, and enhance
employment opportunities for community residents.
Rockford intends to leverage private and public
funds to assist in the mitigation of contaminated
property, thereby providing a viable alternative to
locating businesses in greenfields. Rockford
anticipates providing BCRLF loans to smaller new
companies to encourage them to locate in the EZ.
Three potential properties in the EZ will be
considered for brownfields cleanup: the Reed-
Chatwood site, South Main Railroad Yards, and
Short Elm Railroad Yards.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
The City of Rockford will serve as lead agency, site
manager, and fund manager.
LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES
Rockford's BCRLF award will be coordinated with the
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Community Development Block Grant funds and tax
increment financing funds. The City intends to use
BCRLF loans in conjunction with privately and
publicly funded mitigation activities. Rockford, in
partnership with an array of stakeholders, will provide
staff, legal assistance, and other services necessary to
administer the BCRLF.
Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Rockford, Illinois
May 2000 EPA 500-F-00-161
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