Brownfields 2001 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet
Freeport, IL
EPA Brownfields Initiative
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.
Background
EPA has selected the City of Freeport for a Brownfields
Assessment Pilot. The city also was selected to receive
additional funding for assessments at brownfields
properties to be used for greenspace purposes. Located in
northwestern Illinois, Freeport (population 25,840) has
been a major transportation hub since the 1800s, serving
road, rail, and river traffic. For this Pilot, the city has
targeted a section of the downtown that includes the
Rawleigh Complex, an old, mixed- use industrial area.
About 25 percent of the residents living in the target area
are minorities and 58 percent are low-income residents.
After freestanding mercury was found at the Rawleigh
Complex in 1999, the city worked with the Illinois EPA
and U.S. EPA to conduct initial assessments. In 2000,
approximately 500 tons of contaminated soil and 210
drums of liquid waste were removed. That action
discovered the presence of other contamination to be
addressed. However, a complete assessment has not yet
been funded, and without it, the site will remain vacant,
drain city resources, and impede neighborhood
redevelopment. The city has made progress in securing
funds for site cleanup under the Illinois Site Remediation
Program when the Pilot assessment is complete.
Pilot Snapshot
Date of Announcement: 04/01/2001
Amount: $200,000
$50,000 for Greenspace
Profile: The Pilot targets brownfields located in an
old, mixed-use industrial area adjacent to Freeport's
central business district, especially the Rawleigh
Complex, which has been subject to other assessment
and cleanup work.
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 FreeportJL
(815)235-8207
Objectives
The main Pilot objective is to complete Phase I and
Phase II environmental site assessments at the Rawleigh
Complex. Pilot funds also will be allocated to pay for
costs incurred by enrollment in the state's voluntary
cleanup program, and to develop a community
involvement program and materials for the Rawleigh
Complex.
Activities
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Identifying, assessing, and characterizing
environmental contamination on parcels within
the targeted Pilot area, including the Rawleigh
Complex;
• Forming a steering committee of
community-based stakeholders to evaluate
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA500-F-01-265
Apr 01
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redevelopment alternatives for parcels within the
Pilot area;
• Conducting outreach activities designed to
inform the public about the Pilot and garnering
input for the assessment and redevelopment
plans; and
• Addressing environmental justice issues raised
by contamination of properties in the Pilot area.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet
been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this
fact sheet are subject to change.
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 Q ., . ,A/__t,.
E-ironmental andEmXency EPA 50°-F-°1 **
Protection Agency ResDonse(51oVn Apr01
Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (bl Ob I)
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