Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
    ™          Allegan County, Ml
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

Allegan County was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Allegan County (population
117,053) is located along the shores of Lake Michigan
in the southwestern portion of Michigan's Lower
Peninsula. It is a rural county with considerable
agricultural and forest land and water resources. The
county"s industrial and population growth was
concentrated along the Kalamazoo River. Both farming
and industrial operations have seriously impacted area
waterways, posing threats to human health and the
environment. The state has identified more than 375
sites with known contamination in Allegan County.
Manufacturing historically has been the leading
employment sector in the county, accounting for almost
40 percent of jobs. The recent economic downturn has
forced many businesses and industries to cease
operations, leaving behind numerous vacant properties
and increased unemployment. Allegan County"s
unemployment rate is almost 14 percent. Brownfield
assessments are expected to provide incentives to attract
business to the county and catalyze redevelopment.
                   Assessment Grants

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

                   EPA has selected Allegan County for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                   inventory brownfield sites and conduct 10 Phase I
                   and six Phase II environmental site assessments.
                   Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning
                   and community outreach  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: Allegan County,MI
                   (269) 673-0378

                   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-10-097
        Apr 10

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