Section 885.210  Applications for Municipal Brownfields Redevelopment Grants

a)         A municipality may apply for grant funds only if the following conditions are met:

1)         The municipality commits in writing to enroll, or has enrolled, the brownfields site in the Site Remediation Program;

2)         A Phase I or II environmental audit has been or will be completed for the brownfields site and has been or will be submitted to the Site Remediation Program for review and approval;

3)         The municipality provides a cost estimate for the cleanup, prepared by a professional engineer, for the brownfields site for which grant funds are to be expended and commits to work toward acquiring a No Further Remediation letter; and

4)         If the costs to complete corrective action and to acquire a No Further Remediation letter exceed the maximum amount available to the municipality under this grant program, the municipality has reasonably demonstrated that there is sufficient capital available to cover such costs.

b)         To be considered for a municipal brownfields redevelopment grant, an applicant must file with the Agency a complete application, in accordance with the requirements of this Section and relevant statutes.

c)         Applicants for municipal brownfields redevelopment grants must use grant application forms furnished by the Agency, or a similar format. Grant applications, including budget forms, may be obtained from and must be submitted to:

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Bureau of Land

Office of Brownfields Assistance

1021 North Grand Avenue East

Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276

d)         A complete municipal brownfields redevelopment grant application must include:

1)         Background information on the applying municipality and proposed project, including:

A)        The negative effects on the local community of the brownfields site and the positive effects on the local community of funding and implementation of the proposed project;

B)        The local government involvement and planned additional involvement in the proposed project;

C)        If the brownfields site is located in an enterprise zone, as defined at Section 3(b) of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act [20 ILCS 655/3(b)], a map that identifies the designated enterprise zone and the specific brownfields site location;

D)        The anticipated long-term benefits of the project and the means by which the municipality will sustain the benefits;

E)        How the success of the project will be measured;

F)         A commitment by the grantee that the site for which the grant is sought will be entered into the Site Remediation Program with the grantee as the Remediation Applicant, to the extent that activities funded by the grant are not statutorily excluded under the Site Remediation Program;

G)        If the property is not municipally owned, the following:

i)          An explanation as to why grant funds are requested for privately held property and the anticipated benefit to the municipality of expending grant funds at privately held property;

ii)         Identification of the owner of the property; and

iii)        Tenant information, including but not limited to tenant name, type of lease/rental and type of business; and

H)        If a designated River Edge Redevelopment Zone is located within the municipality, a copy of the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Certificate and all amendments to the certificate issued for the River Edge Redevelopment Zone pursuant to the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Act.

2)         The project plan, including:

A)        A description of all components and phases of the proposed project;

B)        A description of planned or proposed tasks to be performed by parties involved;

C)        A schedule of the work plan by tasks, including specific activities and events;

D)        A detailed explanation of all anticipated expenses covered by the grant and a discussion of costs not covered by the grant, but anticipated to achieve the stated long-term project goals and measures;

E)        Letter(s) of agreement or other documentation showing the applicant is authorized, by law or consent, to act on behalf of or in lieu of the owner or operator of the site;

F)         Letter(s) of agreement or other documentation from the contractor or subcontractors involved in or responsible for components or phases of the proposed project;

G)        Map(s) indicating location(s) of the proposed project, areas affected by the proposed project and, if relevant to the project, enterprise zone;

H)        A designation of the total acreage of the project site;

I)         Location of the project site by latitude and longitude;

J)         A description of the planned use for the project site following the completion of remediation activities and the issuance of a No Further Remediation Letter under 35 Ill. Adm. Code 740; and

K)         If funding for performance of a remedial action is being requested, a copy of the remedial  action plan approval letter issued by the Agency under 35 Ill. Adm. Code 740.

3)         Information on project team members, including:

A)        The name of the project manager and a description of his or her previous management experience and other pertinent experience and capabilities;

B)        The names of other project team members and a description of their job titles, work assignments and experience;

C)        Documentation showing resource commitment by the grantee adequate for the project manager to successfully organize, administer, and complete the project specified in the proposal, such as:

i)          Evidence of the relevant experience of all project team members; and

ii)         Proposed allocation of resources, both capital and labor, to the project;

D)        The name, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address, if any, of the project team member designated to serve as liaison with the Agency.

4)         Information on any environmental consultant to be employed by the applicant, including:

A)        The previous project management experience and other pertinent experience and capabilities of the environmental consultant;

B)        The names of key environmental consultant personnel and a description of their job titles, work assignments and experience;

C)        A detailed description of the tasks the consultant is to perform in the proposed project;

D)        Evidence of relevant experience of all environmental consultant personnel involved in the project;

E)        Statement that work will be performed as outlined in the work plan approved as part of the application, including adherence to the supplied work schedule;

F)         A copy of the consultant's current normal and customary billing rates; and

G)        Evidence of relevant experience for all subcontractors to be used and a copy of each subcontractor's signed formal bid.

5)         The grant amount requested and a budget, on a form prescribed by the Agency, or in a similar format, outlining the expenses to be incurred. All amounts must be rounded to the nearest dollar and all percentages must be carried to one decimal place. The budget must include costs of:

A)        Personnel services;

B)        Equipment;

C)        All other direct costs; and

D)        Contractor and subcontractors.

6)         Any additional information required by the Agency.

(Source:  Amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 5774, effective March 30, 2007)