w Brownfields 2006 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Akron, OH 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 Akron was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Akron (population 212,179) was founded as a canal town on the Ohio and Erie Canal. As railroads replaced the canal system, Akron became the heart of the rubber industry in America and the rubber capital of the world. B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Firestone Tire, and General Tire all were originally located in Akron. Between 1970 and 1995, Akron lost over 34,000 rubber-manufacturing jobs. Nearly 31 percent of Akron's residents are minorities, and 17.5 percent live below the poverty level. Since only two percent of city land is undeveloped, Akron will need to reuse the brownfields sites left behind by its older industries in order to retain and expand its industrial and economic base. These sites pose a threat to human health and to the ecology of the Ohio and Erie Canal. The Imperial Electric site, targeted for cleanup, is a contaminated site with condemned structures that impact the economically distressed neighborhood that surrounds it. Cleanup of the site will remove the threat of contamination to area soil and groundwater, thereby increasing the value of surrounding properties. The city believes that, once cleaned up, this site can be redeveloped into a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will generate up to 50 new jobs. Redevelopment of the Imperial site also will make an adjacent eight-acre Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Akron for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct outreach activities, develop cleanup plans, and perform above-ground and subsurface cleanup and post-cleanup monitoring at the former Imperial Electric Company property at 84 Ira Avenue. From 1891 to 1999, the now vacant site was used to manufacture electric motors. Contaminants of concern include petroleum products and heavy metals. 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: City of Akron,OH (330)375-2494 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-06-126 May 2006 ------- property more attractive to developers. United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 560-F-06-126 Protection Agency Response (5105T) May 2006 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |