Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Columbia City,  IN
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 City of Columbia City was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in northeastern
Indiana, Columbia City (population 8,283) was known
for the production of automobile parts and plastics. At
one time, the city was the largest producer of blue jeans
in the world. The downturn of the automotive industry
has resulted in numerous plant closings in the past 10
years and an increased unemployment rate, which is
now  12.7 percent. Assessment efforts will target the
Downtown Revitalization Area, the West Industrial
Corridor, and the South Line Street Corridor. The target
areas contain potentially contaminated brownfield sites
within residential neighborhoods. Brownfield
assessments will help the city identify priority sites for
eventual cleanup, which is expected to facilitate
redevelopment efforts in the downtown commercial and
industrial corridors.
                   Assessment Grants

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances
                   $200,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the City of Columbia City for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will
                   be used to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites
                   in three target areas and conduct 10 to 15 Phase I
                   and four to six Phase II environmental site
                   assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                   conduct community outreach activities, up to three
                   cleanup plans, and five risk assessments if necessary.

                   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: City of Columbia City,IN
                   260-248-5112

                   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)
EPA 560-F-10-092
        Apr 10

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