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. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this 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.
$400,000 for hazardous substances
($200,000 for assessment; $200,000 for cleanup)
EPA has selected the City of Perry for a brownfields multi-purpose pilot grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to assess and clean up the Former Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Rail Yard site located in Spring Valley Township. This 101-acre site is an abandoned railroad property. It is contaminated with PCBs, herbicides, heavy metals, and inorganic contaminants. Assessment grant funds will be used to conduct a Phase II environmental site assessment, develop cleanup plans, and engage the community and other stakeholders about the project. Cleanup grant funds will be used to manage the overall planning and coordination of the project, clean up the site, and prepare a project completion report, which will summarize the cleanup activities performed at the site. The site is expected to be redeveloped as a park and trailhead and possibly as a site for renewable energy generation.