Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

Stephenson County, IL

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, 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.

ASSESSMENT GRANTS

$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Stephenson County for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used for site inventory and prioritization, Phase I and II site assessments, and site remediation planning. Funds also will be used for community outreach and health and safety planning. Petroleum funds will be used to perform the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination. The county has identified three target areas for this work: Lancaster Township, rural Lena, and the Stephenson County Economic Development Project Area.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

Stephenson County was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Located in northwest Illinois, Stephenson County has a population of 48,979, with approximately 31 percent of the population residing in rural and agricultural areas. Historically, mills, coal yards, stockyards, and grain elevators dominated commerce throughout the county. These facilities were located in small communities each of which had a bulk petroleum plant and at least one filling station. Since these small municipalities lost their factories and businesses to larger communities in the county, the abandoned factories, commercial enterprises, gas stations, and petroleum plants in the rural parts of the county have been virtually ignored for redevelopment. They pose potential threats to the environment and to the health and safety of the communities. Unemployment throughout the county is higher than the state and federal rates, and median household income is consistently lower than the state and federal medians. Brownfield properties will be transformed into marketable assets, spurring much-needed development in the disenfranchised portions of the county. Redevelopment will increase the tax base and employment opportunities, conserve greenspace, and protect the agricultural environment of the county.

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: Stephenson County, IL
815-235-7643

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