Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Rockford>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 City of Rockford was selected to receive three
brownfields assessment grants. Rockford (population
150,115) was once a thriving manufacturing community
with industrial and commercial facilities along the banks
of the Rock River and the area's rail corridors. The city's
economy has been declining for nearly three decades.
There are an estimated 125 industrial brownfields, 200
former gas station sites, and 50 potentially contaminated
small commercial sites within the city. These sites include
several large industrial concentrations along the river and
rail corridors. As of August 2009, the unemployment rate
for the city was 16.9 percent. The concentration of
brownfields and aging housing stock are impacting
neighborhoods. Brownfield assessments are expected to
serve as a catalyst for the target neighborhoods to move
forward with redevelopment plans. The South Main Rail
Yards site is a major component of the city's
Redevelopment Concept Plan Vision that includes phasing
in development of office and retail space, bringing
Amtrak service to the community, and encouraging
non-motorized transportation.
Assessment Grants
$550,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Rockford for three
brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
prioritize sites, conduct 10 to 12 Phase I and three
to five Phase II environmental site assessments,
and develop three to five cleanup plans.
Community-wide petroleum grant funds will be
used to prioritize sites, conduct 10 to 15 Phase I
and five to seven Phase II environmental site
assessments, and develop three to five cleanup
plans. Site-specific hazardous substances grant
funds will be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II
environmental site assessments and develop
cleanup plans for the 25-acre South Main Rail
Yards site. Environmental concerns are linked to
the history of manufacturing and foundry
operations once located on sections of the site and
the major rail operations throughout the site.
Funds from all the grants also will be used to
support community involvement activities.
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 Rockford,IL
(815)987-5636
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
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-10-090
April 2010
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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-10-090
April 2010
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