All News Releases By Date

U.S. EPA announces $6.3 million for Michigan brownfields

Release Date: 5/11/2005
Contact Information:

CONTACT: (EPA) Mick Hans, (312) 353-5050

For Immediate Release
No. 05-OPA060

CHICAGO (May 10, 2005) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said today that it has awarded $6.3 million to 17 different communities and government consortiums to help address brownfields sites in Michigan. Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties where the stigma of possible pollution or a lack of solid technical information has discouraged redevelopment.

"EPA's Brownfields program puts both property and people back to work," said Region 5 Acting Administrator Bharat Mathur. "The grants we're awarding today to Michigan communities can convert eyesores into engines of economic rebirth."

Nationally, EPA announced $75.9 million in grants today. A total of 218 applicants, including three tribal nations, were selected to receive 291 grants. One category of grants provides funds to evaluate contaminated properties. Another category provides funds to do cleanup work. Eleven other applicants around the country will receive job training grants, including the Downriver Community Conference in Michigan's Wayne and Monroe counties ($200,000).

Grant recipients in Michigan:

• Charlotte Brownfield Redevelopment Authority: $400,000 (two grants) to conduct an inventory of local sites that warrant further assessment, cleanup and reuse planning activities.
• Downriver Community Conference: $200,000 to assess sites in 11 communities in Wayne and Monroe counties.
• Eaton County: $400,000 (two grants) to assess sites in this generally rural county.
• Ecorse: $600,000 (three grants) to assess local sites and proceed with cleanup work and community outreach at the former Great Lakes Steel Mill, which has been vacant since the early 1970's.
• Ingham County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority: $200,000 to assess sites, with an emphasis on abandoned properties in the downtown and central business districts of the county.
• Kent County: $800,000 (four grants) for additional assessment work at the Millenium Park greenway preservation project and cleanup at the Grandville Dump site.
• Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, L'Anse Indian Reservation: $400,000 (two grants) to assess sites in Baraga and Marquette counties.
• Lake County: $400,000 (two grants) to inventory approximately 50 local sites.
• Macomb County: $200,000 to assess more than two dozen local sites.
• Manistee: $195,000 to assess local sites.
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality: $200,000 to clean up the Hoff Industries site, a former metal plating operation in Grand Rapids.
• Monroe: $1 million to capitalize a revolving loan fund targeting the 45-acre former Consolidated Packaging plant, within the Mason Run development area.
• Northern Lakes Economic Alliance: $200,000 to assess sites in Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
• Oakland County: $400,000 (two grants) to assess about 20 local sites.
• Schoolcraft County: $400,000 (two grants) to assess a dozen local sites.
• St. Louis: $150,000 to assess local sites.
• Washtenaw County: $200,000 to assess local sites.