Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

Springfield, OH

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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, the President 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.

CLEANUP GRANT

$200,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the City of Springfield for a brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up hazardous substances contamination on the former SPECO-Kelsey-Hayes Manufacturing Facility on West Columbia Avenue, which has been used for various manufacturing and industrial purposes since the late 1800s. Cleanup of the site will include soil remediation and demolition of existing structures.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Springfield was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Of the city's 65,736 residents, 2,847 live in the target area, where 74 percent of the residents have low or moderate incomes. Approximately 39 percent of those residents live in poverty. The city is rebounding from industry divestiture, which has left behind abandoned buildings and vacant lots. New commercial and retail investments proposed for the site are expected to bring jobs and additional tax revenue to the city. Redevelopment of the site will remove blight, reuse the property, and improve health and safety issues for the surrounding community.

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 at: www.epa.gov/brownfields.

EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team
312-886-7576
http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/

Grant Recipient: Springfield, OH
937-324-7305

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.