] Brownfields 2011 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
~ Public Building Commission of Chicago, 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. 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 Public Building Commission of Chicago was selected
to receive three brownfields cleanup grants. The Building
Commission will clean up three sites in the Greater Grant
Crossing and Chatham communities of Chicago
(population 2,851,268). In these working class
communities, median household incomes are well below
the city and state median incomes. Nearly all residents in
the target areas are African-American, and approximately
30 percent of families live below the poverty level. As a
result of city budget cuts, the Greater Grant Crossing and
Chatham communities have lost various public services.
There are at least nine brownfields in these communities.
Cleanup of the three target sites will reduce contamination
on the properties and enable the construction of the
proposed Whitney Young Library to serve as an
educational resource for the community. The Commission
expects construction of the library to spur additional
redevelopment interest in the two communities.
Cleanup Grants
$600,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Public Building Commission
of Chicago for three brownfields cleanup grants.
Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
clean up Site 1 of the proposed new Whitney
Young Library at 415-417 East 79th Street. Soil
and groundwater at the property are contaminated
with perchloroethene that is believed to have
migrated from an adjacent parcel. Grant funds also
will be used to clean up Site 2 of the proposed new
Whitney Young Library at 419 East 79th Street.
Soil and groundwater at the property are
contaminated with percholorethene originating
from former dry cleaning operations at the
adjacent parcel. Grant funds also will be used to
clean up Site 3 of the proposed new Whitney
Young Library at 421-423 East 79th Street. Soil
and groundwater at the property are contaminated
with perchloroethene from dry cleaning operations
at the site during the 1980s.
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/R5Brownfiel ds)
Grant Recipient: Public Building Commission of
Chicago,IL
312-744-9281
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
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
E PA 560-F-128-068
May 2011
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fact sheet are subject to change.
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