Brownfields 2010 Assessment and Revolving
Loan Fund Grant Fact Sheet
Grand Rapids, 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
The City of Grand Rapids was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants and a brownfields
revolving loan fund grant. Located in southwestern
Michigan, Grand Rapids (population 192,252) is the
second largest city in Michigan. The city"s industrial
sector saw rapid growth during the mid-1800s, when
several foundries, machine shops, and furniture
manufacturers were established. During the past 30
years, the city"s manufacturers have steadily closed
their plants, resulting in job losses, a declining
population, and the creation of brownfields. Since
2007, the unemployment rate has nearly doubled to 16
percent, and the poverty rate is 22 percent. There are
more than 300 potential brownfields in five of the
neighborhoods targeted for assessment. Poverty rates in
these neighborhoods are as high as 42 percent, and up
to 90 percent of residents are African-American.
Assessment of brownfields will clarify the extent of
contamination, and is expected to enable the city to
proceed with revitalization plans and attract new
businesses that will create jobs. The target areas for
RLF funding include the West Side/Furniture Center,
Division Avenue Corridor, and Southwest Grand
Rapids, where poverty rates are as high as 31 percent,
and 1111 tn 85 nerr.ent nf residents are minorities
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$100,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Grand Rapids for two
brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will
be used to perform about 16 Phase I and 12 Phase II
environmental site assessments. Grant funds also
will be used to conduct cleanup planning and
community outreach activities. Revolving Loan
Fund Grant $750,000 for hazardous substances
$250,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of
Grand Rapids for a brownfields revolving loan fund
grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a
revolving loan fund from which the City of Grand
Rapids will provide loans to support cleanup
activities for sites contaminated with hazardous
substances and petroleum. The city expects to
process one or two loans per year. Grant funds also
will be used to conduct community outreach
activities, loan marketing, and cleanup oversight.
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 Grand Rapids,MI
616-456-3431
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-10-103
Apr 10
-------
Brownfield cleanups conducted through the RLF grant
will complement the city"s Master Plan. Redevelopment
of brownfields is expected to create new jobs,
encourage private investment, and transform blighted
communities in the target areas.
United States __,.
EPA
Protection Agency Resoonse (51 Q5Ti Apr 1
Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (bl Ob I )
------- |