Q \ Brownfields 2005 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
\	Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, Northwest Region of Lower
Michigan

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 Northern Lakes Economic Alliance was selected to
receive a brownfields assessment grant. The target areas
are Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet Counties, with a
combined population of 80,637. The region has
historically been dependent on an economic base of
manufacturing and industrial production. All three
counties are predominantly rural and contain significant
low- and moderate-income communities. They have been
impacted by layoffs and dozens of plant closings in the
automotive sector over the past ten years. The
unemployment rates for the three counties are 10.2
percent, 9.7 percent, and 11.3 percent, all higher than the
national rate. In addition, many support businesses such
as gas stations, dry cleaners, and small machine shops
have been unable to survive without the base of major
manufacturing jobs. There are 148 contaminated sites in
the region, of which at least 100 are contaminated with
petroleum. They include abandoned salvage yards and
former manufacturing facilities. Many of these sites are
near rail trails, off-road bike paths, and walking trails.
Their redevelopment will enhance bike paths and trails,
and improve recreational opportunities. Brownfields
redevelopment will also reuse existing infrastructure,
maximize the tax base, preserve greenspace, generate
jobs, and overcome social and economic challenges.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Northern Lakes Economic
Alliance for a brownfields assessment grant.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to assess
brownfield sites throughout Antrim, Charlevoix,
and Emmet Counties. Grant funds will be used to
develop a site inventory, and perform
approximately 20 Phase I site assessments and
some Phase II site assessments. Funds also will be
used for community outreach 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: Northern Lakes
Economic Alliance, MI
Northern Lakes Economic Alliance
(231)582-6482
Northern Lakes Economic Alliance
(231)582-6482
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)
EPA 560-F-05-188
May 2005

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