CALHOUN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that St. Joseph, Ottawa and Calhoun counties in Western Michigan will receive a total of $1.7 million to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the agency’s Brownfields Program.
In a statement released Wednesday, EPA officials said they delivered approximately $287 million in Brownfield grants directly to communities and nonprofits for cleanup and redevelopment, job creation, and economic development. These have been made possible through the award of over 948 grants.
“These communities are ready to move forward with redevelopment; they just lacked the funding to take that next step ,” EPA Regional Administrator Kurt Thiede said. “EPA’s Brownfields grants help jump-start the process by providing support for assessments and cleanups .”
Several Michigan officials issued statements in light of these funding disbursements.
“I’m so pleased that the EPA’s Brownfields Program is providing such a significant grant that will support the local economy and provide for new opportunities here in St. Joseph County,” U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) said. “The folks of Three Rivers and the neighboring communities are salt of the earth people, and during this difficult moment in our nation’s history where so many of us are facing new challenges, this grant funding is certainly a breath of good news for this region of our state.”
A breakdown of the projects being funded can be viewed in full below:
— $600,000 to Calhoun County Land Bank Authority —
The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority will use community-wide grant funds to conduct 17 Phase I and 15 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update and prioritize a brownfields inventory, prepare at least four cleanup plans, and conduct community outreach activities.
Assessment activities will focus on the Dickman Road Corridor in Battle Creek and the Gale/Brown area in Albion, both of which include Qualified Opportunity Zones.
Priority sites include the SEMCO site within the Dickman Road area, and the Urban Renewal and Gale Industries/Brown Weld sites in the Gale/Brown area. Coalition partners are the Albion Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the City of Battle Creek.
“The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority is grateful for this grant from the EPA and we are eager to get to work with our coalition partners, the cities of Albion and Battle Creek, to assess environmental challenges in our County,” Calhoun County treasurer and chair of the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority Board of Directors Brian Wensauer said. “We’re proud to partner with local municipalities to target properties that will make the greatest impact on our communities.”
— $500,000 to Calhoun County —
Calhoun County will use grant funds to clean up The Mound site located at 161 East Michigan Avenue in the City of Battle Creek. The site had historically been used for waste disposal by rail lines and residences and as a depository for excavated soil and fill materials from a nearby construction project.
It has been vacant and unused since the early 1990’s. It is contaminated with heavy metals, naphthalene, and TCE. Grant funds will also be used to support community outreach activities.
“This project has been a long time coming and we are very pleased to be awarded the funds that will allow Calhoun County to clean up this site and position it for future redevelopment,” chair of the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners Steve Frisbie said. “Calhoun County is proud to work with the EPA on this important project, which, when completed, will provide numerous benefits to the community.”
— $300,000 to Ottawa County —
Ottawa County will use community-wide grant funds to conduct 13 Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to update a brownfields inventory, prepare two cleanup plans, and conduct community involvement activities.
Priority sites include the 10-acre Board of Light and Power property on Harbor Island in the City of Grand Haven and a 1.15-acre site containing former auto sales and service properties in the primary commercial corridor of the City of Hudsonville.
“Ottawa County believes strongly in stewardship not only of our abundant natural resources, but also of taxpayer dollars,” County Administrator and Chair of the Ottawa County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Al Vanderberg said. “With this award from the US Environmental Protection Agency for brownfield site assessment, we will be able to leverage private investment and other incentives to cleanup brownfield sites and get them back into productive use, both in our target communities and across the County.”
— $300,000 to St. Joseph County —
St. Joseph County will use community-wide grant funds to conduct eight Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities and develop cleanup and reuse plans.
Assessment activities will focus on the City of Three Rivers downtown area, which is located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone. Priority sites include the Old Three Rivers Hospital; the vacant White House building, which operated as an appliance and furniture store, a manufacturer of hospital appliances, and an auto dealership; and a former Dodge Dealership.
“St. Joseph County is thrilled to receive an EPA Brownfield Assessment grant,” St. Joseph County Administrator/Controller Teresa Doehring said. “This funding will serve as a catalyst for redevelopment in our community, and in turn improve the vitality of our downtown areas, address housing needs, and eliminate blight. We look forward to partnering with the EPA in this critical initiative.”
— Further Information —
Grants awarded by EPA’s Brownfields Program provide communities across the country with an opportunity to transform contaminated sites into community assets that attract jobs and achieve broader economic development outcomes, while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. For example, brownfields grants are shown to:
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Increase Local Tax Revenue: A study of 48 brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional local tax revenue was generated in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these sites.
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Increase Residential Property Values: Another study found that property values of homes near revitalized brownfields sites increased between 5% and 15% following cleanup
For more on the Brownfields grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
For more information about EPA’s role in Opportunity Zones: https://www.epa.gov/opportunity-zones
