Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

St. Louis, MI

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 GRANT

$150,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of St. Louis for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to update the existing inventory of brownfields properties, complete 12 Phase I and unspecified number of Phase II site assessments, and conduct community outreach activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of St. Louis was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. St. Louis (population 5,453) is located in the center of the lower peninsula of Michigan, within 60 miles of three urban centers: Saginaw, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. The surrounding areas are primarily agricultural and the city can be characterized as depressed. Its residents have a median income that is 30 percent lower than the state average, a per capita income that is 36 percent below the state average, and a 15.9 percent poverty rate. Scattered around the city are 25 brownfield sites which hinder economic growth, particularly in the downtown and industrial park areas. Brownfields redevelopment plans include the construction of new housing, recreation and park projects, and a boat launch to the Pine River. Redevelopment is expected to increase the city's tax base, attract new businesses and visitors, and create new jobs.

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: City of St. Louis, MI
989-681-2137, ext. 1

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