Brownfields 2003 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Sterling, 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. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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 Sterling was selected to receive assessment and revolving loan fund grants. The city is focusing on the 700-acre Rock River Redevelopment Area, which is part of a designated Illinois Enterprise Zone. Since the local steel facility closed in 2001, the city (population 15,600) has lost 1,400 jobs, experienced a sharp rise in public assistance demands, and seen the deterioration of residential areas surrounding the site. The city is working to transfer parcels in the area to redevelopers and end-users. The assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of these brownfields will help foster a diversity of businesses in the area and spur additional economic activity in the community. This redevelopment initiative is part of the city's larger effort to work in cooperation with surrounding communities and public agencies to create a coherent area-wide economic development strategy and open space plan. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Sterling for an assessment grant. The city will use grant funds to conduct assessments at priority sites within the Rock River Redevelopment Area that are contaminated by petroleum or hazardous substances. Grant funds also will be used to conduct a site-wide groundwater investigation and to conduct community involvement activities. Relvolving Loan Fund Grant $600,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Sterling for a revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the city will provide loans and subgrants to conduct cleanup activities within the Rock River Redevelopment Area. Cleanup activities will be conducted at sites contaminated with hazardous substances and sites contaminated with petroleum. 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: Sterling, IL, City of (815)632-6621 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA500-F-03-192 Jun 03 ------- 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) EPA500-F-03-192 Jun 03 ------- |