Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet

Downriver Community Conference, Wayne and Monroe Counties, MI

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders 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.

REVOLVING LOAN FUND GRANT

$2,500,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Downriver Community Conference for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the Downriver Community Conference will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities at sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning and community involvement activities. Coalition partners include 12 communities in Wayne and Monroe Counties, Michigan.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Downriver Community Conference (DCC) was selected to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The DCC consists of 12 municipalities south of Detroit in Wayne and Monroe Counties (combined population of 475,078). The area's long history of industrial and manufacturing activities has left behind numerous vacant and contaminated brownfields properties. The population in many of these communities has declined dramatically after the loss of industrial and manufacturing jobs in the area. Some areas have poverty rates as high as 31 percent, and some cities experienced population declines as high as 53 percent over the last 40 years. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's database of contaminated sites indicates that over 400 brownfields sites are located within these communities. More than 70 percent of the City of Monroe's land area is occupied by brownfields. In addition, brownfields in the area contributed to contamination of the Rouge and Detroit Rivers. Revitalized brownfields may be used for new businesses, residential communities, schools, and medical clinics. Brownfields redevelopment will bring new life and economic activity to communities, and protect the environment, especially near surface water bodies.

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: Downriver Community Conference, MI
734-362-3477

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