I jBh | Brownfields 2011 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
Marinette County, Wl
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
Marinette County was selected to receive a brownfields
assessment grant. Located in northeastern Wisconsin on
the shores of Lake Michigan, Marinette County
(population 43,418) is a blend of forests, farms, and small
cities. Many of the county's communities developed
around logging camps that supported the forest industry
and used the area's abundant lakes and rivers to transport
logs. As a result, many of the county's brownfields are in
areas subject to flooding. Release of contaminants in these
areas can significantly impact groundwater, surface water,
and sensitive environmental areas. Sites pose threats to
public health and natural resources, blight neighborhoods,
and deter private investment. In March 2010, the
unemployment rate in the county was 12.1 percent.
Nearly 67 percent of the paper mill jobs in the area have
been lost since 1990. Brownfield assessments will
identify human health and environmental risks, and
facilitate redevelopment in accordance with the county's
Comprehensive Plan.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected Marinette County for a
brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide
hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
conduct 10 Phase I and seven Phase II
environmental site assessments and develop two
cleanup plans. Grant funds also will be used to
expand the county's inventory of sites and support
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: Marinette County,WI
715-732-7536
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-128-098
May 2011

-------