Organization

County gets $1 million brownfield cleanup grant

By Holly Klaft and Brad Flory
Jackson Citizen Patriot
Saturday May 09, 2009

Jackson County on Friday landed a $1 million grant to clean up contaminated sites and potentially create jobs down the road.

The grant was announced by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and came as a pleasant surprise to local officials.

Money will go into a loan fund to clean up some of the 245 brownfield sites identified in Jackson County. Emphasis will be on 34 sites in a target area along W. Michigan Avenue in Blackman Township.

Loans will be given by the Jackson County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority to companies involved in cleanup efforts. When companies repay the loans, the money can be used to finance more brownfield cleanups.

“We don’t have a project lined up yet,” said James “Steve” Shotwell, chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. “They (EPA officials) know we have some places that need to be cleaned up.”

Brownfield sites are properties where development is hindered by known or potential contamination. Clean-up funds are intended to help the economy as well as the environment.

“This positions us to assist with financing for redevelopment efforts,” said James Dunn, Summit Township supervisor and chairman of the brownfield authority.

Jackson County received one of the largest of 20 brownfield grants awarded to Michigan communities. Only a downriver coalition of Wayne and Monroe counties received more, $2.5 million. Oakland and Saginaw counties also received $1 million.

The county can offer low interest rates on loans not restricted to the W. Michigan Avenue target area, said Amy Torres, director of economic development at the Enterprise Group.

“The target area is a good place to use these funds, but we can use them anywhere in the county,” Torres said.

One year ago, the EPA awarded a similar $1 million grant for brownfield loans within the city of Jackson.

Some local officials doubted the county had much chance for another million dollars so soon, but the odds were improved by the federal recovery package passed by Congress to stimulate the economy.

Jackson County was one of seven Michigan communities to receive brownfield grants with stimulus money.

“Putting Recovery Act dollars to work quickly to clean up brownfield sites will help lay the groundwork for future economic growth,” U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer said in a written statement.

The Albion Brownfield Redevelopment Authority also received a grant for $200,000.

Albion will use the money to prioritize brownfield sites and make 18 site assessments.