United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA500-F-99-075 May 1999 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ >>EPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot State of Illinois (Coalition among the State of Illinois and the Cities of Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galva, Lacon, and Waukeqan) Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet 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 forthe 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 The State of Illinois BCRLF pilot is a coalition formed among the State of Illinois and the Cities of Canton, EastMoline, Freeport, Galva, Lacon, and Waukegan. Thousands of brownfields sites, resulting from abandoned commercial/industrial activities, are located in Illinois communities. These sites pose environmental threats, attract gang and drug activities, vagrants, and illegal dumping. BCRLF OBJECTIVES Illinois' BCRLF will offer lowinterestloans to support self-sustaining efforts by local entities to clean up brownfields that have already been assessed for contamination. Illinois expects numerous entities from across the State to benefit from B CRLF pilot financing. Eligible sites are targeted brownfields assessment sites or sites located within Brownfields AssessmentPilots and they must: • Be entered into the state Site Remediation Program (SRP); • Be adequately assessed for environmental conditions prior to applying for BCRLF loans; PILOT SNAPSHOT State of Illinois (Coalition among the State of Illinois and the Cities of Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galva, Lacon, and Waukegan) Date of Announcement: May 25,1999 Amount: $3.5 million BCRLF Target Area: Sites located in municipalities across the State, focusing on sites within the Cities of Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galva, Lacon, and Waukegan Contacts: Division of Remediation Management, Illinois EPA (217) 785-9407 Region 5 Brownfields Program (312) 886-7576 Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/ 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/ ------- • Have an SRP approved corrective action plan prior to expenditure of BCRLF funds; and • Have a completed market study and/or assessment that demonstrates reasonable probability of success. FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS The Illinois EPA will serve as the lead agency and will assign an SRP project manager to serve as site manager at each site. The Illinois Development Finance Authority (IDFA) will serve as fund manager. It is anticipated that coalition members will make loans within 12 months of the BCRLF award. Repayment schedules will vary according to the financial abilities of the borrower. LEVERAGING Through the Illinois Brownfields Redevelopment Program, the State provides grants to assist and support efforts by municipalities to develop and sustain programs that categorize and assess brownfields sites forcleanup. Sixmillion dollars are available through the program over a four-year period starting July 1,1999, with individual grants worth amaximum of $ 120,000. 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 State of Illinois May 1999 EPA 500-F-99-075 ------- |