Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Vermilion County, 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

Vermilion County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in east-central
Illinois 100 miles south of Chicago, Vermilion County
(population 80,680) is in a region with a long industrial
history. Between the 1940s and 1980s, the county was
home to numerous manufacturing facilities, including a
large auto castings foundry and many smaller
manufacturing facilities. As industrial activities
declined, many of these establishments ceased
operating, leaving behind vacant, potentially
contaminated properties and unemployment. The
unemployment rate is now 12.1 percent, and an
estimated 28.3 percent of the county"s children live
below the poverty level. Many communities in
Vermilion County are mixed-use neighborhoods in
which brownfields are situated near residences, parks,
and schools. Assessment of brownfields will help the
county evaluate the risks posed by brownfields and is
expected to help the county proceed with its economic
revitalization plans.
                   Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous
                   substances $200,000 for petroleum
                   EPA has selected Vermilion County for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will
                   be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II
                   environmental site assessments of the county"s
                   highest-priority brownfield sites. Grant funds also
                   will be used to prepare an inventory of brownfields,
                   support community outreach activities, and conduct
                   cleanup planning.

                   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: Vermilion County,IL
                   217-431-2662

                   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-10-091
        Apr 10

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