I jBt; | Brownfields 2007 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Clare 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 Clare County was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Clare County (population 31,653) is a rural community in the historically industrial and recreational region of north-central Michigan. The county has not experienced the population growth of other northern Michigan areas, and the closure or downsizing of its industrial base during the past 25 years has left numerous vacant and underused properties and high unemployment. In 1999, the county was designated a federal Enterprise Community. The county's unemployment rate is 9.3 percent, well above state and national averages, and the median income is 65 percent of the state average. Many residents have jobs that serve the typically lower-paying tourism industry while others commute to jobs in other counties. Brownfields redevelopment will advance the county's plan to improve employment, expand affordable housing opportunities, encourage private reinvestment in the community, increase the tax base, and preserve open space essential to tourism. Assessment Grant $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected Clare County for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to perform community outreach activities, inventory and prioritize sites, and conduct up to 20 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments. 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: Clare County,MI (989)539-2510 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-07-031 Protection Agency Response (5105T) May 2007 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |