Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet

South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Burnham, Robbins, and Markham, 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 GRANT

$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association for a brownfields assessment grant. The association has identified three new coalition members, the City of Markham and the Villages of Burnham and Robbins, that will be the focus of this grant. Grant funds will be used to prepare an inventory of brownfields in these communities, conduct assessments at priority sites contaminated with hazardous substances, and conduct community outreach in each of these communities.

REVOLVING LOAN FUND GRANT

$1,000,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association for a revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the association will provide loans and subgrants to conduct cleanup activities. The funds will be used to assist coalition members in the south Chicago suburbs, giving priority to projects that provide public benefits and support smart growth.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association was selected to receive assessment and revolving loan fund grants. The association is a consortium of 43 municipalities in the south suburban Chicago region. This region, historically a major manufacturing area, has thousands of acres of contaminated lands, with vacant and abandoned sites along major thoroughfares, in business districts, and residential neighborhoods. The association has targeted the City of Markham and the Villages of Burnham and Robbins for brownfields assessment. There are about 100 brownfields in these three communities, which have significantly higher unemployment and poverty rates, lower per capita incomes, and larger minority populations than Cook County and surrounding municipalities. For example, the Village of Robbins is 97 percent minority and 30 percent of its residents have incomes below the poverty level. The revolving loan fund grant will help extend and stimulate brownfields cleanup and redevelopment in these communities and across the south suburban Chicago area.

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: South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, IL
708-206-1155

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association has not received brownfields grants. The City of Riverdale has received brownfields funding for an assessment grant on behalf of the organization.

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