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Region 5 Brownfields
Quick Brownfields Links
General
- Brownfields Home
- Assessment, Cleanup & Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES)
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Region 5
National Information
Brownfields are 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. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment.
From 1995-2011, Region 5 has awarded 437 assessment grants which have led to completed assessments for 3,805 properties. This is more completed assessments than any other region in the United States. During this same time period, 3,520 acres have been made ready for reuse.
Contents
We have established:
- 684 cooperative agreements
- 18 job training grants
- 79 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grants
- 150 cleanup grants
- 3 showcase communities
- 6 state grants
- 17 tribal agreements
Regional Auto Sector Recovery Workgroup
The 2009 bankruptcies of both General Motors Corporation and Chrysler Corporation have left their mark on the Region's economy and landscape. In addition to a staggering job loss in the hundred of thousands, these recent bankruptcies have also added over 8,700 acres (over 14 square miles) and 60 million square feet of newly vacant commercial/industrial property to the nation's brownfield and vacant property inventories—with nearly 80 percent of that here in the states of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The job losses and diminished tax revenues are crippling many communities. In response to this, the White House established an Auto Sector Community Recovery Initiative aimed at bringing targeted government resources to the industries, communities, and states impacted. The Departments of Labor, Energy and Transportation, HUD, EDA, SBA and EPA are all involved and have brought significant resources to the situation.
Staff from the Region 5 Land and Chemicals Division, Brownfields Program and Office of Regional Counsel have been working with the other involved Federal Agencies (DOJ, Treasury and Labor) states, affected local units of government and the bankrupt entities themselves to assess and quantify the overall environmental damages, delineate liabilities and establish likely cleanup options for all sites. Regional staff have travelled to numerous individual affected communities and plants as well as planning and participating in several multi-day sessions held for state wide groupings of communities in order to hear near-term needs and concerns. Currently, Region 5 staff are providing directed technical assistance to a number of communities through environmental assessments, redevelopment planning and liability clarifications as well as continuing to participate in stakeholder sessions throughout the Region.
Contacts:
- Matt Didier (didier.matthew@epa.gov)
- Brooke Furio (furio.brooke@epa.gov)
- Peter Felitti (felitti.peter@epa.gov)
- Jose Cisneros (cisneros.jose@epa.gov)
- Tom Bloom (bloom.thomas@epa.gov)
- Brad Stimple (stimple.brad@epa.gov)
- Joe Dufficy (dufficy.joseph@epa.gov)
Region 5 Greener Cleanup Activities
Region 5 is involved in numerous efforts regarding greener cleanups. The Region 5 Superfund Greener Cleanup (GC) Coordinator is Brad Bradley (bradley.brad@epa.gov). Following are several GC activities that are currently underway:
- On Nov. 12, 2009, the Directors of the Superfund and Land and Chemicals Divisions of Region
5 signed the Region 5 Greener Cleanup Interim
Policy (PDF) (3 pp, 130.6K, About
PDF). The interim policy was developed with assistance from the six Region 5 States and
addresses technologies and practices that Region 5 will implement to make its cleanup greener and more sustainable.
- Region 5 is conducting a pilot to incorporate green cleanup considerations into an Analysis
of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives
at two sites: the Former Wisconsin Automated Machinery Site and the Mercury Marine Site, both of
which are in Oshkosh, Wis. Contact: Jon Peterson (peterson.jon@epa.gov)
for more information.
The Brownfields Cleanups in Oshkosh, Wis. (PDF) (1 pg, 229K, About PDF)
- Region 5 has started a pilot project at the Fisher-Calo Superfund Site in Kingsbury, Ind., where Life Cycle Analysis concepts will be employed to measure the environmental benefits/impacts
of converting a long-term ground water pump-and-treat system to the use of renewable energy.
Contact: Brad Bradley (bradley.brad@epa.gov).
- On Aug. 6, 2009, Region 5 met with representatives of various cleanup programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, to begin to coordinate greener cleanup activities. The resulting workgroup will begin to work on a GC Interim Policy in Fall 2009.
Brownfields Grants
Region 5 Brownfields Program provides funds and technical assistance to states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustain the reuse of brownfields.
TAB EZ
Kansas State University has developed a software tool that can assist communities who are applying for assessment and cleanup grants under EPA's Fiscal Year 2009 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup (ARC) grant competition.
TAB EZ was developed by KSU and CABEM Technologies, Inc. as a public service. TAB EZ is available free of cost to everyone nationwide. TAB EZ is not a substitute for reading the guidelines.
TAB EZ is available at http://www.tabez.org/ 
Sustainable Practices Brownfields Prevention Challenge (Archived Presentations of CLU-IN Sessions)
- Sustainable Practices Brownfields Prevention Challenge 1: South Suburban
Mayors and Managers, Illinois August 2008
- Sustainable Practices Brownfields Prevention Challenge 2: Moline, Illinois August 2008
- Sustainable Practices Brownfields Prevention Challenge 3: Elkhart County,
Indiana September 2008
Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA)
Contact: Brad Stimple (stimple.brad@epa.gov) 440-250-1717
Targeted Brownfields Assessments
What is a TBA?
Subtitle A of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act authorizes EPA to establish a program to perform Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs) such as Phase 1 and Phase 2 assessments at properties within Region 5 at no cost to local governments and tribes.
Information gathered from a TBA gives local governments and prospective purchasers a better understanding of potential contamination issues at Brownfields sites in their communities.
How to request TBA services from EPA
EPA Region 5 has limited resources to help communities complete TBAs.
EPA will select sites in accordance with the criteria in the e Targeted
Brownfields Assessments Fact Sheet (PDF) (2pp, 140K, About
PDF) September 2007.
In making final decisions on distribution of this resource to applicants, EPA may consider a balanced distribution among the Region 5 States and Tribes.
- Send EPA a request letter.
Sample request letter (PDF) (1 pg, 772 K, About PDF) August 2007 - Complete the eligibility questionnaire.
Eligibility questionnaire (MS-Word) (4pp, 23K) or Eligibility questionnaire (PDF) (4pp, 22K) March 2004 - Complete and enclose the access consent form.
Access Consent Form (PDF) (1pg, 60K) February 2012
EPA will review the request and determine whether the property itself and the site assessment work are eligible; EPA will document that decision.
Upon approval of TBA funding, EPA and/or the State can help refine community assessment needs, work expectations, and timelines.
Construction and Demolition Debris Reuse and Recycling
Reuse and recycling of construction and demolition debris are an integral part of Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. This debris consists of concrete, asphalt, wood, gypsum wallboard, asphalt roofing materials, metal, bricks, glass plastics, building components, trees, soil, and rocks and is generally nonhazardous.
Construction & Demolition (C&D) Debris Management in Region 5
New Assessment, Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantee Information
- Grants Assistance, Kits, Forms and Terms & Conditions
- Eligibility Determinations
- Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Guidance
- Assessment, Cleanup & Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES)
- Sample Documents
- Drawdowns
How to Submit Photos to the EPA Photo Archive
U.S. EPA frequently gets requests for before and after photos of Brownfields sites. Use the following links to submit your photos:
- Brownfields Photo Archive Flyer (PDF) (1 pg, 320K, About PDF)
- Brownfields Photo Archive Submission Form (DOC) (2 pp, 131K)