I JBt \ Brownfields 2004 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Mason 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. 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
Mason County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Mason County (population 28,274) is a
rural harbor community on the eastern shore of Lake
Michigan. Historically a port community serving the
shipping industry, Mason County evolved into an
industrial manufacturing region. As manufacturing
declined, jobs disappeared and the county tax base eroded.
Over the last three years, the county has lost
approximately 420 full-time jobs. Its 12 percent
unemployment rate is the highest in Michigan. Many of
the county's prime lakefront properties are dotted with old
and abandoned industrial sites and blighted buildings. The
environmental assessment of these lakefront properties
will help the county identify sources of contamination to
Lake Michigan, attract new development to lakefront
communities, create new jobs, and re-establish a needed
tax base.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected Mason County for a brownfields
assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to
identify and inventory brownfields properties,
perform Phase I and Phase II site assessments, and
conduct community outreach. The county expects
to generate an inventory of approximately 50
properties, primarily along the waterfront.
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: Mason County,MI
(231)845-6646
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-04-077
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	June 2004
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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