Brownfields  2011  Revolving Loan  Fund Grant
               Fact Sheet
              A/cro/7, OH
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 Akron was selected to receive a brownfields
revolving loan fund grant. Located  south of Cleveland
along the Ohio and Erie Canal, Akron (population
201,807) was once one of the fastest growing cities in the
country. The city historically housed several rubber
companies and was known as the ?rubber capital of the
world.? The rubber manufacturing industry once
employed up to 33,000 workers, but with the relocation of
manufacturing operations, the industry employs less than
4,000 Akron residents today. The decrease in
manufacturing support industries left behind an industrial
heritage of abandoned manufacturing plants, warehouses,
and railroad facilities. The city's unemployment rate of
10.1 percent is higher than the state and national averages.
The per capita income is $20,548, and 22.5  percent of
individuals live in poverty. Cleanups conducted through
the RLF grant are expected to leverage investments and
incentive  packages to redevelop brownfields, which will
improve economic opportunities for the city's residents.
                     Revolving Loan Fund Grant

                     $800,000 for hazardous substances
                     $200,000 for petroleum
                     EPA has selected the City of Akron for a
                     brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant
                     will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund
                     from which the City of Akron will provide loans
                     and subgrants to support cleanup activities for
                     sites contaminated with hazardous substances and
                     petroleum.
                     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:  City of Akron,OH
                     330-375-2133

                     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)
E PA 560-F-128-090
       May 2011

-------