A \ Brownfields 2006 Assessment and Cleanup
Grant Fact Sheet
Oshkosh, 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. 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 Oshkosh was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant, and two brownfields
cleanup grants. Located on the western edge of Lake
Winnebago along the Fox River in eastern Wisconsin,
Oshkosh (population 62,916) has a long history of
manufacturing and industrial uses on the banks of the
river. Today its unemployment rate is higher than the
state's, due to the closing or downsizing of several
manufacturing businesses. Almost half the population is
designated as having low-to-moderate incomes. There are
more than 200 brownfields in the central city and
riverfront area that have affected the value of properties in
the surrounding neighborhoods. Other effects of
brownfields on the community are a reduced tax base,
inefficient use of land, and incompatible and conflicting
land uses. When brownfields are assessed and eventually
cleaned up, they will be redeveloped to convert
under-performing properties to productive uses that will
expand the city's tax base. A planned Five Rivers
Convention Center will include commercial and
recreation uses. Brownfields redevelopment will create
jobs, increase the tax base, encourage a more vibrant
downtown area, and make the Fox River more accessible
to the public through the use of public parks and open
space.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Oshkosh for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to perform
Phase I and II environmental site assessments and
develop cleanup plans for sites throughout the
community, including downtown Oshkosh and the
historic industrial corridor. Funds also will be used
for community outreach.
Cleanup Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Oshkosh for two
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the Mercury
Marine property at 449 and 455 Marion Road.
This property is contaminated with volatile
organic compounds, benzene, vinyl chloride, and
trichloroethylene. The brownfield was used for
industrial purposes since 1890, including lumber,
candle, concrete, and boat engine operations.
Petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up
Parcel J of the Murphy Concrete and Construction
property at 411 Marion Road and 25 Jackson
Street. This brownfield is contaminated with
petroleum products. The site was used as a
sawmill, lumber yard, machine shop, coal yard,
roofing company, and concrete batch plant. Grant
funds also will be used for community outreach.
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
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-06-140
May 2006

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(312) 886-7576
EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfiel ds)
Grant Recipient: City of Oshkosh,WI
(920) 236-5057
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
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
Solid Waste
EPA 560-F-06-140
May 2006

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