Brownfields  2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, IL
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield 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. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help
states and communities around the country cleanup and
revitalize brownfields sites. 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 South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association
(SSMMA) was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment coalition grant. The SSMMA's coalition
partners are the Illinois municipalities of Riverdale,
Dolton, Harvey, Phoenix, Dixmoor, and South  Holland
(combined population 92,556). The target area  in south
suburban Chicago has historically been occupied by
heavy industry, including steel mills, paint and
chemical plants, and landfills. Many of these former
industrial sites are now vacant or marginally utilized.
Most of these communities are economically
disadvantaged, and have higher poverty and
unemployment rates and lower household income rates
than county and state averages. The SSMMA has
created a "Cargo-Oriented Development" strategy to
take advantage of developer interest in the economic
advantages of the south suburban communities.
Brownfield assessments are expected to help these six
communities determine environmental conditions at
larger brownfields and encourage their redevelopment.
                   Assessment Grant

                   $750,000 for hazardous substances
                   $250,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the South Suburban Mayors &
                   Managers Association for a brownfields assessment
                   coalition grant. Community-wide hazardous
                   substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to
                   conduct Phase I environmental site assessments and
                   at least six Phase II environmental site assessments
                   at larger industrial sites that have good access to
                   intermodal transportation. Grant funds also will be
                   used to prepare cleanup plans that will qualify
                   assessed  sites for state cleanup funding.

                   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
                   (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                   EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team
                   (312)886-7576
                   EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields)

                   Grant Recipient: South Suburban Mayors &
                   Managers Association,IL
                   (708) 922-4671

                   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 negotiated.
                   Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are
                   subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-09-184
        May 09

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