w5 Brownfields 1999 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet Antrim County, Ml EPA Brownfields Initiative 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. Background EPA has selected Antrim County, Michigan for a Brownfields Pilot. The Mancelona Community, which is the Pilot's target area, consists of Mancelona Township (population 3,173), Custer Township (population 630), and the Village of Mancelona (population 1,370). This rural and impoverished area is located 35 miles northeast of Traverse City and 200 miles northwest of Detroit. The area is known for its pristine, natural beauty, and relies heavily on tourism to support the local economy. The Village and Township of Mancelona have unemployment rates of approximately 12 percent, while the unemployment rate in Custer is approximately 17 percent. The percentage of the population living below the poverty level is 12.9 percent in Custer, 18.3 percent in Mancelona Township, and 24.7 percent in the Village of Mancelona. Historically, the community supported the timber and iron works industries. These industries were further supported by a railroad, which bisects the target area. With the decline in these industries, the county has been left with reduced economic opportunities and a legacy of potential environmental contamination. Contamination has already been identified in groundwater plumes, posing a threat to local drinking water. In addition, contaminants from existing area industry-automotive Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 03/01/1999 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets properties in the Mancelona Community, which includes the Mancelona and Custer Townships, and the Village of Mancelona. 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/R5Brownfields) Grant Recipient: Antrim County, MI (616) 533-6265 ncirtc cnrvnliprc cmrl falvri^a+rvrc-hs Objectives The Mancelona Community has a redevelopment vision that includes using partnerships to expand affordable housing, recreational, and industrial and commercial opportunities in the community. The county will identify, prioritize, assess, and position its brownfields sites for these redevelopment opportunities. The Pilot will fund the key environmental activities necessary for the community to attain its objectives. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Using an Environmental Real Estate Assessment to create a dynamic model that ranks prospective brownfields properties; • Performing Phase I and II environmental site assessments on five to eight brownfields, with a preference for publicly owned properties; • Identifying a maximum of three of the targeted United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-99-003 Mar 99 ------- and are undergoing investigation. The Pilot will focus on properties along the US-131, M-55, M-88, and County Road 571 corridors, as well as properties located outside of the Mancelona Tar Lake Superfund site. sites and creating redevelopment plans for those sites consistent with overall community plans; • Building upon existing community involvement mechanisms for land-use planning and health and human services; • Investigating various state funding options to leverage cleanup and redevelopment activities; and • Enhancing the capacity-building of local government, non-profit organizations, and the community to ensure sustainability after the grant period. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. 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-99-003 j. i- a ancl Emergency .. Protection Agency Response (5105T) Mar 99 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- |