Environmental Progress - Summer 1999

Agency's Brownfields Initiative Expands

$10 million pilot program will bolster reclamation efforts at brownfields sites

Illinois EPA's toolbox to help communities reclaim abandoned contaminated industrial and commercial sites, or brownfields, continues to expand.

A new $10 million pilot program of low-interest revolving loans for cleanup costs at brownfields sites was included in the Illinois FIRST program proposed by Gov. George W. Ryan and approved by the Illinois General Assembly in the spring.

The Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Program will assist local governments and private developers of sites that have already been assessed for contamination and are participating in Illinois EPA's Voluntary Site Remediation Program. The maximum loan amount per site would be $1 million.

"Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts are gaining momentum nationwide, but nowhere more than here in Illinois. We are excited that local communities and private parties who clean up and redevelop brownfields sites will soon have access to low interest loans to pay for those activities," said Illinois EPA Director Thomas Skinner.

In another boost to brownfields redevelopment efforts, the U.S. EPA on May 25 awarded a $3.5 million grant under a pilot federal revolving loan fund, to Illinois EPA and six partner municipalities.

Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galva, Lacon and Waukegan each received $500,000 to help pay for removal of environmental hazards at priority redevelopment sites. The remaining $500,000 will be used by Illinois EPA to assist other communities around the state.

The six cities selected previously qualified under federal-assisted programs, and of the nearly 30 eligible communities in Illinois, these six were the closest to being ready to start actual clean up work.

The revolving loan funds for actual remediation costs are a complement to the continuing state grant program that provides up to $120,000 to a municipality for environmental investigation and evaluation of sites, but not actual cleanup.

Illinois EPA awarded the first grant to the city of Lockport in October 1998. Since then, 11 more communities have received funding.

Four of the most recent grants were announced by Director Skinner during the All Cities Brownfields Conference at Pere Marquette State Park Lodge in Grafton on June 2.

Alton was awarded $120,000 to evaluate property owned by Laclede Steel Company; Effingham received a grant of $115,186 to assess four sites with leaking underground storage tanks; Farmington was awarded $26,017 to investigate a site with six underground storage tanks; and Macomb was awarded $36,337 to assess a former gasoline service station site.

Brownfield's Initiative information, forms now available on web site.

At the June 2 conference, Director Skinner also announced a new Brownfields Initiative section on the Agency's Internet web site.

Not only does it provide centralized information on brownfields issues, including the state environmental remediation tax credit, brownfields grant application forms can now be directly downloaded. The site also contains links to related pages, such as the Office of the State Fire Marshal, who can help with underground storage tank issues.

The June 2 conference, attended by municipal and county officials, community development leaders, consultants and attorneys, offered a variety of workshops ranging from a "case study" in Canton to practical information on the Site

Remediation Program and TACO (Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives), the Agency's nationally-renowned remediation objectives.

TACO has been credited with cleaning up sites faster and often at less cost, while still meeting the bottom line objective of fully protecting human health.

The Site Remediation Program also continues to set new records each year. In 1998, there were 179 new sites enrolled and 136 sites completed the cleanup process.

The Agency has designated three "personal brownfields representatives" who will visit communities on request to explain cleanup options, the regulatory program requirements and discuss individualized guidance on financial assistance and other resources. They are Steve Colantino, Ken Page and Heather Nifong.

The Brownfields Initiative is at www.epa.state.il.us/land/brownfields