News Releases - 1999

Illinois Awarded Federal Grant to Assist Redevelopment of Contaminated Sites in Six Cities

Springfield, Ill. -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and six communities have been awarded one of the first federal grants under a new pilot Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund.

The $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide $500,000 each in low-interest loans towards clean up costs at former industrial or commercial sites in Canton, East Moline, Freeport, Galva, Lacon, and Waukegan. The remaining $500,000 will be used by Illinois EPA to assist other communities around the state.

"This grant, coupled with additional state resources under the Illinois FIRST program, will be a valuable tool in helping reclaim abandoned and often polluted sites," said Governor George H. Ryan.

"Instead of eyesores and potential health hazards, these sites will be providing jobs and/or recreation to our citizens again," Illinois EPA Director Thomas Skinner added.

"The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency submitted an outstanding application, and we deeply appreciate the tremendous commitment of time and energy that went into its preparation," the U.S. EPA said, in approving the award, that was announced by Vice President Al Gore today.

The specific communities included in the grant application were those that have done the most preliminary work and were closest to being ready to start actual cleanup of environmental contamination.

In Canton, the targeted project is the former International Harvester plant site; in East Moline, riverfront redevelopment; in Freeport, riverfront redevelopment: in Galva, the Galva Foundry; in Lacon, the former Lacon Woolen Mill; and in Waukegan, downtown and riverfont sites.

Most of those communities have already taken advantage of the state Brownfields Redevelopment Grant program that provides up to $120,000 for site assessment and other preparatory environmental work.

The grant availability was restricted to about 30 communities previously qualified under federal-assisted programs.

The City of Chicago was also separately awarded a $500,000 grant from the program.