A  \    Brownfields 2009  Assessment Grant
  jSS2J    Fact Sheet
               Defiance County, OH
                                                        REC(M(H.GBV
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. On
February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed
into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to
jumpstart our economy, and create or save millions of
jobs. This law provided stimulus funds to the
Brownfields Program to award grants to evaluate and
clean up former industrial and commercial sites. Under
this law, EPA will provide financial assistance to
eligible applicants through four competitive grant
programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund
grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants.

Community Description

Defiance County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant.  The county (population 39,091) in
recent years has experienced a massive reduction in
manufacturing jobs, resulting in abandoned  factories
and communities. The county has at least 100 current
and former manufacturing sites, engine repair shops,
dry cleaners, and scrap yards. Many of these
manufacturers and proprietors have left the county,
leaving brownfields that provide no economic benefit
for the communities. Brownfield assessments are
expected to help the county characterize threats posed
to residents and the environment, and facilitate site
cleanup and redevelopment. Redevelopment in turn is
expected to return brownfields to productive reuse and
attract new businesses.
                  Assessment Grant
                   $200,000 for hazardous substances
                   (Recovery Act Funding)
                   EPA has selected Defiance County for a brownfields
                   assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous
                   substances grant funds will be used to conduct a
                   brownfields inventory, and perform about 19 Phase I
                   and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments.
                   Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup
                   planning and support community outreach 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
                   (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: Defiance County,OH
                   (419) 784-3882

                   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-09-219
        May 09

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