News Releases from Region 05

EPA Announces $1.1 Million to Clean up Brownfield Sites in Michigan

(CHICAGO – July 12, 2016) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $1.1 million in supplemental funding to clean up Brownfield sites in Michigan.

"EPA’s Brownfield program will help Michigan revitalize distressed properties, improve public health, create jobs and boost local economic opportunities," said EPA Region 5 Acting Superfund Director Douglas Ballotti. “EPA’s funds often make the difference that helps leverage private sector resources to make cleanups and reuse of properties possible.”

EPA awarded $300,000 to Genesee County to continue to clean up the Chevy Commons site in Flint. The county and city are cleaning up the former General Motors manufacturing facility along the Flint River to make the site safe for people to use recreationally and to prevent potentially contaminated water from reaching the river. A walking path and small parking area have already been built on parts of the site that have been cleaned up, and additional trails and redevelopment are planned for the property.

EPA also awarded $500,000 in supplemental funding to the City of Grand Rapids to clean up the former Proos Manufacturing Site so that it can be redeveloped into a mixed-use, mixed-income redevelopment project known as the Diamond Place Project. Features such as a bus station and grocery store are planned as part of the redevelopment.  

EPA also awarded a $300,000 grant to the Wayne County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.  The grant will help clean up contaminated land in Detroit for urban agriculture or other projects designed to provide jobs to Detroit residents.

EPA provides supplemental funding to grantees that have shown success in using previous Brownfield grants and need additional funding to continue cleanups.  These projects will help communities create jobs while protecting people’s health and the environment.  

More information on EPA’s Brownfields program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields