Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Elkhart County, 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

Elkhart County was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Located in northern Indiana, Elkhart
County (population 191,768) has been significantly
impacted by brownfields, which range in size from less
than one acre to more than one square mile. The heavy
industrial history of the county includes manufacturing
of musical instruments, pharmaceuticals, and
machinery. A growing number of these industrial
facilities are vacant, and an unknown number of them
are current or potential brownfields. During the past
year, the county has been devastated by the loss of
thousands of jobs, with an unemployment rate that
doubled in one year to 9.3 percent. Almost 22 percent
of residents are minorities, and almost 11 percent of
residents live in poverty. A disproportionate number of
Hispanic and Latino residents live in older
neighborhoods within or adjacent to industrial areas
where brownfields are located. Assessment of
brownfields is expected to identify properties with the
greatest potential to impact public health and serve as a
catalyst for redevelopment.
                   Assessment Grants

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

                   EPA has selected Elkhart County for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                   update the county's brownfields inventory and
                   conduct from 10 to 15 Phase I and from 8 to 10
                   Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds
                   also will be used to conduct cleanup planning and
                   support community involvement activities.
                   Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the
                   same tasks at sites with potential petroleum
                   contamination.

                   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: Elkhart County,IN
                   (574)875-3335

                   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-09-137
        May 09

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