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EPA awards brownfields grants to 20 Michigan communities

Release Date: 05/15/2006
Contact Information: Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov; Anne Rowan, 312-353-9391, rowan.anne@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA078

(Chicago, Ill. - May 15, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has selected 20 Michigan communities, tribes and organizations to receive 32 grants totaling more than $9 million to help redevelop brownfields.

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties where real or perceived environmental contamination has slowed redevelopment. Nationally, EPA announced $70 million in brownfields funding for 209 applicants.

"Brownfields redevelopment does much more than turn neighborhood eyesores into community assets," said EPA Region 5 Acting Administrator Bharat Mathur. "It also restores hope and creates opportunity."

Here is a summary of the Michigan grants:

Alma received a $200,000 grant that will be used to clean up the Alma Iron and Metal property on North State Street, which is contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, PCBs and heavy metals.

Alpena won a pair of $200,000 grants to perform up to 30 environmental site assessments at properties possibly polluted with hazardous substances or petroleum products.

Arenac County was awarded two $200,000 grants to conduct brownfields site assessments on areas possibly contaminated with hazardous substances or petroleum products.

Berrien County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority was selected for a $200,000 assessment grant that will be used to inspect brownfields locations in Benton Harbor that may be polluted with hazardous substances.

Calhoun County was awarded a $200,000 grant to perform up to 20 brownfields site assessments for possible hazardous substances.

Cheboygan County, Mich., was selected for a pair of $200,000 assessment grants that will be used to inspect and categorize up to 30 brownfields sites that may contain hazardous substances or petroleum products. .

Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority received two $200,000 grants to select and inspect brownfields sites for possible hazardous substances or petroleum products.

Dickinson County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority won a $200,000 brownfields grant to assess sites for possible petroleum contamination.

Downriver Community Conference, Wayne and Monroe counties was selected for a $2.5 million revolving loan grant.

East Lansing was awarded a $200,000 grant for assessing brownfields sites possibly containing hazardous substances and a $100,000 grant for assessing properties with possible petroleum pollution.

Genesee County Land Bank Authority received three brownfields grants totaling $600,000.

Gratiot County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority was awarded two grants of $200,000 each.

Harbor Shores Community Redevelopment, Benton Harbor was awarded $194,850 in brownfields grant money to clean up the former Superior Steel site on Graham Avenue.

Kalamazoo was selected for a $200,000 grant that will be used to assess sites possibly contaminated with hazardous substances.

Kalamazoo County won a pair of $200,000 grants that will be used to conduct brownfields assessments at sites possibly contaminated with hazardous substances or petroleum products.

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee Reservation was awarded a $250,500 grant to clean up two brownfields sites.

Manistee County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority won two brownfields grants of $198,200 each.

Reed City Brownfield Redevelopment Authority was selected for a pair of $192,200 grants to be used for assessing up to 20 brownfields possibly contaminated with hazardous substances or petroleum by-products.

Trenton received a $200,000 grant to conduct up to 18 brownfields assessments at sites possibly contaminated with hazardous substances.

Wayne County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority received $1 million to capitalize a revolving fund for brownfields loans and sub-grants to clean up sites polluted by hazardous substances.

More information about the EPA brownfields program: epa.gov/brownfields/.