f A \ Brownfields 2003 Revolving Loan Fund Grant
\^l^/ Fact Sheet
Richland Center; Wf
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 Richland Center was selected to receive a
revolving loan fund grant. The city (population 5,114) is
the seat of Richland County, located within a Wisconsin
Community Development Zone. To offset the impact of
the area's declining farming and lumber operations and a
decline in population, the city is pursuing the
redevelopment of its old industrial area. Historically,
Richland Center's old industrial corridor was the site of
heavy industry and commercial operations. These
facilities left a legacy of contamination, abandoned
structures, and a deteriorating housing stock. The average
income in the county is under $16,000, or 69 percent of
the national average, and almost 13 percent of the
population lives below the poverty line. Cleanup and
revitalization of the properties along the corridor is
expected to bring better housing and living conditions to
the local residents, raise property values, and attract new
businesses and jobs to the community.
Revolving Loan Fund Grant
$1,000,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Richland Center for a
brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant
will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund
from which Richland Center will provide loans
and subgrants to conduct cleanup activities. The
city is focusing on cleanup and revitalization in a
redevelopment corridor with widespread soil,
surface water, and groundwater contamination.
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: Richland Center, Town of
/Richland County, WI
(608) 647-6428 "
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 500-F-03-170
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	June 2003
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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