Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Schoolcraft County, 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
Schoolcraft County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in Michigan's
Upper Peninsula on the northern shore of Lake Michigan,
Schoolcraft County (population 8,903) is a predominantly
rural county with abundant forests, lakes, and other
natural resources. In the mid-1880s, logging companies
began operations in the area"s vast forests. Later, iron ore
was mined and shipped to the numerous foundries in the
state"s Lower Peninsula. Following the decline of these
industries, pulpwood and paper manufacturing, and
limestone mining and processing developed into major
industries for the area. The decline in these and other
industries has led to the closure of many small businesses.
The county and the state have identified approximately
700 brownfields that potentially threaten the area"s
drinking water supply. The county"s unemployment rate
rose to nearly 13 percent in 2009. Brownfield assessments
are expected to facilitate site cleanup and reuse, thereby
reducing challenges to redevelopment.
Assessment Grants $200,000 for
hazardous substances $200,000 for
petroleum
EPA has selected Schoolcraft County for two
brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
perform up to 10 Phase I and eight Phase II
environmental site assessments, conduct up to
eight baseline environmental assessments, and
develop four cleanup plans. Grant funds also will
be used to conduct community outreach activities.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the
same tasks at sites with potential petroleum
contamination.
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: Schoolcraft County,MI
(906)341-5126
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-10-109
April 2010
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