Brownfields 2003 Assessment and Revolving
Loan Fund Grant Fact Sheet
South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Burnham,
Robbins, and Markham, 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. 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.
Community Description
The South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association
was selected to receive assessment and revolving loan
fund grants. The association is a consortium of 43
municipalities in the south suburban Chicago region.
This region, historically a major manufacturing area,
has thousands of acres of contaminated lands, with
vacant and abandoned sites along major thoroughfares,
in business districts, and residential neighborhoods. The
association has targeted the City of Markham and the
Villages of Burnham and Robbins for brownfields
assessment. There are about 100 brownfields in these
three communities, which have significantly higher
unemployment and poverty rates, lower per capita
incomes, and larger minority populations than Cook
County and surrounding municipalities. For example,
the Village of Robbins is 97 percent minority and 30
percent of its residents have incomes below the poverty
level. The revolving loan fund grant will help extend
and stimulate brownfields cleanup and redevelopment
in these communities and across the south suburban
Chicago area. More Revolving Loan Fund Activities
South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association
Makes $103,000 Loan to Clean Up Bloom Township
Plaza
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the South Suburban Mayors and
Managers Association for a brownfields assessment
grant. The association has identified three new
coalition members, the City of Markham and the
Villages of Burnham and Robbins, that will be the
focus of this grant. Grant funds will be used to
prepare an inventory of brownfields in these
communities, conduct assessments at priority sites
contaminated with hazardous substances, and
conduct community outreach in each of these
communities.
Revolving Loan Fund Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the South Suburban Mayors and
Managers Association for a revolving loan fund
grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a
revolving loan fund from which the association will
provide loans and subgrants to conduct cleanup
activities. The funds will be used to assist coalition
members in the south Chicago suburbs, giving
priority to projects that provide public benefits and
support smart growth.
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: South Suburban Mayors and
Managers Assoc,IL
(708) 922-4671
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA500-F-03-186
Jun 03
-------
On August 24, 2006, the South Suburban Mayors and
Managers Association loaned $103,000 to the City of
Chicago Heights to assist with cleanup costs associated
with Bloom Township Plaza; an additional loan of
$26,100 was made in June 2007. These loans were
made possible through a $1,000,000 EPA Brownfields
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant awarded to the South
Suburban Mayors and Managers Association. Cleanup
of this former dry cleaner facility began in November
2006 with the removal of contaminated soil; it was
completed in May 2007. The city anticipates receiving
a No Further Action Letter from the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. The plan is to
redevelop the property as a banquet hall. For more
information about this loan or the South Suburban
Mayors and Managers Association EPA Brownfields
Revolving Loan Fund, contact the EPA Region 5
Brownfields Coordinator at (312) 886-7576.
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)
EPA500-F-03-186
Jun 03
------- |