f w \ Brownfields 2004 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Akron, 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. 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 City of Akron was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Of the 217,074 residents living in Akron, 17.5 percent live below the poverty level, and minorities exceed 30 percent of the population. Since 1970, Akron has experienced the loss of over 34,000 rubber-manufacturing jobs and additional layoffs in remaining plants. The blight of vacant industrial and commercial properties and gas stations throughout the city has contributed to disinvestment and job losses. With 24 percent of Akron's workforce in manufacturing and an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent, the city needs to offer developable land to keep and attract industrial investment and provide residential, retail, artisan, and recreational opportunities along the canal. Investors are seeking investment opportunities in the canal and downtown areas, but fear potential contamination. Assessment and cleanup of the brownfields properties will allay these fears and help the city move forward with redevelopment. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Akron for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to perform Phase I and Phase II site assessments, community involvement, and quality assurance and remedial action planning on petroleum contaminated sites in the Canal Corridor, Middlebury-University Area, and other industrial and commercial sites throughout the city. These areas contain century-old manufacturing and automotive-related industries, a dump site, railroads, and residences. 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)375-2770 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 c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 560-F-04-102 Protection Agency Response (5105T) June 2004 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |